THE BEST OF 2022 - The Best COMICS Of The Year

 

 

THE BEST COMICS OF 2022:

- Well, 2022 was an awesome year for comics. Okay, I'm clearly biased - I'll admit. Because 2022 was the year that my first ever comic book - HALLOWEEN TEAM - released its first two issues. Finally, after years of thinking about creating my own comic - this year, that dream became a reality. I teamed up with the talented artist Matt Shults, and we worked to create, release, and promote our very own self-published comic book. Easily one of my most exciting moments of 2022 - the release of Halloween Team #1 allowed me to finally transition from comic fan to comic creator. A lot of work went into it (obviously, a *ton* of work on Matt's part - especially given that he's penciling, inking, coloring, and lettering each issue!). But there were so many fun and rewarding moments leading up to and after the release. From giving away free physical copies of our first issue for Free Comic Book Day (at the legendary House of Secrets comic book shop in Burbank), to getting press coverage from top sites like Newsarama and Daily Dead, to doing interviews with outlets like Comic Crusaders, to getting awesome T-shirts made via Design By Humans ... it's been one heck of a ride. And it's not over yet! 2023 will see the long-awaited release of Issues #3 and #4, and hopefully even more cool news about the future of the book. So yeah, we did it - we made a comic book! In a year of so many ups and downs and so much craziness, this was my proudest (and coolest!) accomplishment.

Halloween Team aside, I read a lot of really great comic books in 2022. More than that, this was another year where the craziness of the ongoing pandemic - as well as several months (and counting) of Long COVID-related health issues - meant that my weekly comics haul again took on a special meaning for me. No matter how bleak things got - even if I couldn't get out of bed - I always had new books to look forward to each and every week. Clearly, I'm a huge fan of movies, TV, games, etc. - but there's something about cozy-ing up with a new comic book that is sort of, for me at least, the ultimate pop culture comfort food.

I'll admit, there were some much-hyped comic book events and storylines this past year that sort of landed with a thud. But I still managed to find a lot of exciting new stories in, at times, unexpected places. I also continued my recent practice of finding an older comic to binge-read through (okay, binge might be the wrong word, as I tend to do this at a pretty slow pace). In 2022, I read through DC's classic The Question series from the late 80's, written by the late great Denny O'Neil and with art from the talented Denys Cowan. What an interesting, thought-provoking, and unique series that was. 

As always, one of the things I love about comics is the way that, on one hand, I can always turn to old reliable favorites - creators and characters who I've followed for years ... but, on the other hand, there are always new discoveries to be made. In 2022, some of my favorite comics were from longtime favorite writers like Ed Brubaker and G. Willow Wilson. But then there were series like True Kvlt - a completely original concept from a writer, Scott Bryan Wilson, with whom I had zero previous familiarity. I hope that some people will take a chance on my name and on Halloween Team this year in that same way. 

So without further ado, here are my top comics of the year.
 

DANNY'S BEST COMICS OF 2022:


1.) Reckless

- Reckless has been near the top of my list in previous years, but in 2022 I can't help but give it the top spot. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are simply the best in the biz, and reading each new Reckless graphic novel (of which we got two this year: The Ghost in You and Follow Me Down) is a complete joy. These books - gritty, hard-boiled pulp-noir adventures - tell top-tier, self contained mystery stories even as each volume dives deeper into the psyche of protagonist Ethan Reckless. "Your trouble is his business, for the right price" states the tagline. That said, this year's first new Reckless book, The Ghost In You, shifts its focus to Ethan's erstwhile partner-in-crime Anna - delivering a unique but no-less-compelling adventure. Then, Follow Me Down returned the spotlight to Ethan, taking his story through the end of the 80's and providing some tantalizing hints about his future. To sum up: the Reckless books are the best comics going today - brilliantly written, fantastically realized via Sean Phillips' art, and just the absolute gold standard for great crime fiction, period. Read them asap.

2.) Superman: Space Age

- Mark Russell has been one of my favorite new comic writers of the last several years, but I think he may have created his magnum opus with the superlative Superman: Space Age. The book follows a version of Superman who emerges as a hero in the 1960's, and proceeds to tell a complex, emotion-filled, and downright inspiring story that seamlessly mixes classic DC Comics lore with real-world history.

3.) The Human Target

-Tom King has been one of the biggest "name" writers in comics in recent years, but 2022 may have been his best year yet, pound for pound, as a writer. His stylized noir take on the DC Universe - The Human Target - might be my favorite thing he's written to date. It follows classic DC adventurer Christopher Chance (aka The Human Target) as he seeks to unravel the mystery surrounding his own impending death (after he consumes a poisoned drink intended for Lex Luthor). Somehow, King makes the bwa-ha-ha Justice League of the 80's into the perfect noir supporting cast (and list of suspects). What a cool series.

4.) Love Everlasting

- And here is Tom King again, with this crazy series for Image that's one part tribute to old romance comics and one part meta, mind-bending mystery with a decidedly Lynch-ian flair. The book follows a woman named Joan as she finds herself flung into all manner of melodramatic romance stories that evoke old comics from the 50's and 60's. But as Joan becomes more self-aware of her status as a romance story protagonist, she realizes she's trapped in some strange, hellish nightmare from which she can't escape. What's really going on here? I have no idea, but I'm eagerly reading each new issue to find out.

5.) The Department of Truth

- While it released a little more sporadically in 2022, The Department of Truth was once again one of the best ongoing comics going. Writer James Tynion just keeps getting deeper and deeper into the book's various mysteries and conspiracies - and I consistently can't wait for each new issue's latest twists and turns. And he continues to tantalizingly mix real-world politics with a far-out premise - one that posits that public belief in ideas is what actually manifests them into reality. In the age of conspiracy theory that we live in, it's a disturbing and fascinating train of thought.

6.) Eight Billion Genies

- I've read a lot of writer Charles Soule's work for DC Comics over the years, but I've been loving his latest original series. The premise is insane - one day, every person on earth suddenly gets their own magic genie that will grant exactly one wish. Somehow, Soule milks this premise for humor, horror, and real human drama - and it all works. Bursting with creativity and constantly going in unexpected directions, this is one of my favorite new comic book discoveries of 2022.

 
7.) Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body

- This gripping miniseries is an action-packed, character driven conspiracy thriller, written by the talented Christopher Cantwell. It presents a fascinating story about a team of misfits, assembled by the US government, to cover up what "really" happened during the JFK assassination. The book's version of what happened is pretty fascinating, but the writing really shines thanks to its memorable characters. Ultimately, the potential fates of these outcasts proves just as compelling as the shocking truth behind the assassination.

8.) Rogues

- Speaking of stories about great characters in a tightly-written thriller, see also Joshua Williamson's crime-caper story Rogues - which presents aging versions of The Flash's classic rogues gallery who've reassembled to pull off one final score. Williamson combines his obvious love for the DC Comics pantheon with a real knack for writing a gripping, heist-movie-esque narrative. The Rogues have long been fan favorites, but this book gives them, perhaps, their most memorable misadventure yet.

9.) Poison Ivy

- After her long run writing Ms. Marvel, I guess I began to associate writer G. Willow Wilson with inspiring stories of true-blue heroism. This year, however, Wilson showed her dark side by penning a series about Batman villain turned antihero Poison Ivy - and I'm glad she did. Her Ivy series is a wickedly awesome character study about a woman filled with righteous anger, hellbent on doing things her way. It's arguably the best-ever story for this long-tenured character.

10.) Gotham City: Year One

- And one more great 2022 series from writer Tom King. What can I say, the guy's been on an absolute roll of late. His new Gotham City: Year One series sees King return to the world of Batman, but in a story set a few generations before Bruce Wayne ever donned the pointy ears. Here, the now aged and extra-grizzled private eye Slam Bradley relates to Bruce how he once helped the Waynes solve the mystery of their kidnapped baby. Slam's story is classic crime-noir fiction, and it's King at the height of his powers. 

 

THE NEXT BEST

 

- Okay, there were a few more comics from 2022 that I just couldn't leave off the list, so ...

 

 

11.) Nightwing

 

- For the second consecutive year, writer Tom Taylor has helped to make Nightwing, arguably, the best and most consistent ongoing book in the DC Comics stable. He's aided greatly by the incredible artwork of Bruno Redondo, which is pure poetry-in-motion.

 

 

12.) Batman (Chip Zdarsky run)

 

- It's still fairly early in the run, but ever since taking over writing duties on the mainline Batman book, writer Chip Zdarsky has been absolutely crushing it. His initial story arc - about a fail-safe anti-Batman android (created, of course, by Batman) determined to kill its creator at any cost - has been an epic instant classic.

 

 

13.) Saga

 

- Saga returned in 2022, only to then begin another long hiatus after a several month run. And that's a shame, because Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple's humanistic space-opera epic came back as good as ever. I'm eagerly awaiting the book's eventual return, because it's unquestionably one of the best comics of the last ten years.

 

 

14.) True Kvlt

 

- I mentioned above that True Kvlt was one of my favorite new-comic-discoveries of the year. I mean, how can you not sort of love a quirky crime comic about fast food employees gone rogue? The book's obsession with the inner workings of the fast food service industry prove just as fascinating as its crazy Satanic cult storyline. 

15.) Lazarus: Risen

- Okay, Lazarus: Risen only had one new issue in 2022 (granted, it was a huge, oversized issue) - but still, I can't help but include it here because, hey, Lazarus is one of the best comic book series ever - and in 2022 we got closure on a number of key storylines that have been building for years. Writer Greg Rucka is one of the best, and his future saga about a world ruled by warring corporations proves all-the-more-plausible (sadly) with each passing year.

OTHER FAVORITES FROM 2022

- GCPD: The Blue Wall

- Dark Ride

- Stargirl: The Lost Children

- The Nice House on the Lake

- Junkyard Joe

- Batman: Beyond the White Knight

- Batman: The Knight

- Flashpoint Beyond

- I Am Batman

- Detective Comics (Mariko Tamaki run)

- Batman - One Bad Day: Two Face

- The Closet

- The New Champion of Shazam!

- Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty

- The Joker

- Dark Spaces: Wildfire

- Fables

- Firepower

- Batgirls

- Captain Marvel

- Canary

- Superman: Son of Kal-El

 

WRITERS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Tom King (The Human Target, Love Everlasting, Gotham City: Year One)
2.) Ed Brubaker (Reckless)

3.) Tom Taylor (Nightwing, Superman: Son of Kal-El)
4.) James Tynion IV (The Department of Truth, The Nice House On The Lake)
5.) Mark Russell (Superman: Space Age)
6.) G. Willow Wilson (Poison Ivy)
7.) Chip Zdarsky (Batman, Batman: Knight)
8.) John Ridley (I Am Batman, GCPD: The Blue Wall)

9.) Joshua Williamson (Rogues, Dark Ride)

10.) Geoff Johns (Flashpoint Beyond, Stargirl: The Lost Children, Junkyard Joe)

 

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Bruno Redondo (Nightwing)
2.) Greg Smallwood (The Human Target)
3.) Sean Phillips (Reckless)

4.) Fiona Staples (Saga)
5.) Jorge Jiménez (Batman)
6.) Elsa Charretier (Love Everlasting)
7.) Phil Hester (Gotham City: Year One)

8.) Leomacs (Rogues)
9.) Sean Murphy (Batman: Beyond the White Knight)

10.) Martin Simmonds (The Department of Truth)

THE BEST OF 2021 - The Best COMICS Of The Year

THE BEST COMICS OF 2021:

- As with 2020, comic books were, for me, one of the great comforts of this crazy, mixed-up pandemic year. Perusing the Comixology website to buy my weekly digital books became an important ritual - a guarantee that, no matter how insane or dire things out in the real world got, I'd still be able to look forward to some quality time curled up with my iPad and some comic books - because really, what's better than that?

While comic distribution stuck to a pretty regular schedule this year, the market still felt like it was missing some of its heavy hitters. Brian K. Vaughn, for example, was mostly MIA - his fan-favorite sci-fi adventure Saga now slated for a 2022 return. But nature abhors a vacuum, and this meant that I discovered a lot of new favorite creative talent this year. Writer Mariko Tamaki is a prime example - until recently, I wasn't at all familiar with her work - but she wowed me this year with her versatile writing on DC's flagship Batman book Detective Comics and on their banter-filled father-daughter team-up book Crush & Lobo. Additionally, rising stars really found their groove this year - James Tynion IV went from "one of my new favorites" to "maybe the best in the biz right now," with his stellar, cerebral, page-turning work on everything from DC's Batman and related spinoffs to Image books like The Department of Truth and The Nice House on the Lake. 

Speaking of DC, they had a pretty good year. Their Batman books enjoyed one of the more engaging big-event stories in a while in the Tynion and Tamaki-penned Fear State saga, about an authoritarian regime known as The Magistrate taking over Gotham (with the help of the villainous Scarecrow). The mainline story, as well as its various spin-off one-shots, were excellent. DC also continued to use its recent status-quo changes (thanks to events like Infinite Frontier) to bring back long-missing pieces of its continuity from limbo, like fan-favorite characters Connor Hawke (who popped up in the Robin comic) or the original members of the JSA (also featured on the TV series Stargirl). Now that the pieces are in place, I hope that DC can really deliver on some can't-miss big event storytelling next year. 

As for Marvel, I tend to be more into their standalone stories as opposed to their big events. This year saw acclaimed writer Jonathan Hickman wind down his celebrated run on X-Men, which was one of my favorite books of 2020 and continued to entertain me so long as Hickman and his unique, mind-bending storytelling were driving things. I also continue to be a huge fan of writer Kelly Thompson and the fun, witty, action-packed vibe she brings to her Marvel books like Captain Marvel and Black Widow.

Of course, so much of what's great about comics is the cool stuff that can be found on the fringes. There's always more to discover - new books to find, new writers and artists to become a fan of. So I hope you enjoy my picks below, and maybe even find a new favorite comic book.

Oh, and one more thing! After years of thinking about it, this coming year I'm actually doing it - I'm writing and publishing my own comic book! Yep, keep an eye out for HALLOWEEN TEAM - coming in 2022 - written by me, with art by the uber-talented Matt Shults. It's going to be awesome.

 

DANNY'S BEST COMICS OF 2021:


1.) The Department of Truth

- James Tynion's ongoing book from Image has, gradually, became my favorite comic going today. It's a dark, thought-provoking X-Files for the current era, with a brilliant twist on the classic conspiracy theory genre: that conspiracy theories are only true when enough people believe them to be so. This metaphysical spin allows Tynion to really dig into modern American history, and explore exactly why and how certain ideas developed from fiction into supposed fact - from the Kennedy assassination to the "Satanic Panic" of the 80's to urban legends about aliens, Bigfoot, and more. If you want to really go down the rabbit hole, you've got to read this one.

2.) Reckless

- For the second year in a row, Ed Brubaker's graphic novel series Reckless is near the top of my list. With two new Reckless books out this year, Brubaker again shows why he's absolutely one of the best to ever write comics and one of the true masters of pulp crime-fiction. Set in the seedy Los Angeles of the 1980's, these brutal, page-turning pulp-fictions are filled with compelling mysteries and memorable characters. Brubaker at his best (and fantastic art from his partner in crime Sean Phillips as well).

3.) The Nice House On The Lake

- And here's James Tynion again - with another book with a banger of a premise: a group of people whose only connection is a mysterious mutual friend end up in an isolated vacation home together, only to discover that the world has ended and they - thanks to the supernatural influence of their friend - are the earth's last survivors. Killer premise aside, Tynion makes each chapter pack a punch - with well-drawn characters and cliffhangers a plenty.

4.) The Other History of the DC Universe

- This one made my Top 10 list last year despite being only one issue in - and so of course it's back again for 2021, now that award-winning screenwriter John Ridley has completed his sprawling profiles of some of DC Comics most underutilized heroes of color. Ridley deftly mixes the DC Universe's most seismic storylines with the real-world politics and news stories of of the era in which each issue takes place. In doing so, Ridley not only gives new depth to characters like Katana and Renee Montoya, but also succeeds in giving a broader historical and socio-political context to the DC comics of various decades. A masterwork.


5.) Rorschach

- Many understandably rolled their eyes at the idea of writer Tom King doing a Watchmen pseudo-sequel series. DC had made rather prolific use of the once-untouchable characters from Alan Moore's classic in recent years, and it was easy to wonder if this was a bridge best not crossed. But Tom King truly brought his A-game to this one - and crafted a wonderfully intriguing mystery that blends the impending-doom deconstruction of Watchmen with the style and aesthetic of classic 70's paranoid conspiracy thriller films. The result is a surprisingly fantastic maxiseries that really wowed me, featuring an unexpected spin on one of Watchmen's iconic characters.

6.) Batman: Fear State - Secret Files Specials (Miracle Molly, Peacekeeper-01, The Gardner)

- As I mentioned above, the big Batman event of 2021, Fear State, was pretty excellent. The story detailed Gotham on the brink of a full-fledged dystopia, with Batman having to rely on new allies and new tactics to not just stop the badguys, but win over the people of Gotham to his side. While the main story that ran through monthly books like Batman and Detective Comics was very good, the true highlights of the event were the series of "Secret Files" specials, each written by James Tynion (there's that name again!), and each spotlighting one of the new characters introduced as part of this event. The standout, to me, was Miracle Molly - the leader of an underground revolutionary group who Batman forms a reluctant partnership with. The story of how Molly mind-wipes herself in order to cleanse herself of mental baggage - consequences be damned - was both harrowing and affecting.

 
7.) Crush & Lobo

- Lobo is an iconic DC character - an over-the-top riff on antiheroes like Wolverine, Lobo quickly developed his own fanboy following throughout the 90's. But what to do in 2021 with a character whose central joke is perhaps slightly played out? Easy - give him a badass but still self-doubting LGBTQ teenaged daughter named Crush. Crush, introduced a few years ago over in the Teen Titans comics, has become one of DC's breakout characters, and it was great to see her get the spotlight here. Written by new fave Mariko Tamaki, this was a fun, banter-filled outer space adventure with humor and heart a-plenty.


8.) The Joker

- Okay, fine - one more book from James Tynion on my Top 10 (yep, the guy was everywhere this year). But The Joker is more than deserving of placement on this list. And it's funny, because I don't know that almost anyone was sold that The Joker needed his own series. But the genius here is that this isn't *really* a Joker series - it's a James Gordon series. And it's a series that dives deep into the long, messy history between Gordon and the Joker, and takes a hard look at the moral difficulties of being a purveyor of justice in an unjust world that would allow an insane killer like The Joker to continually cause havoc. A great read month in and month out.


9.) Nightwing

- Yes, it was a good year for the Bat-family books. Nightwing has had a lot of strong runs over the last couple of decades, but the character is currently enjoying another renaissance thanks to the fantastic creative team of writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo. From great relationship-y stuff (Taylor addresses the will-they/won't-they Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon romance head-on, with a lot of nuance and heart) to really interesting social justice questions (Dick uses his fortune in interesting ways to help the people of his adopted hometown Bludhaven) - Taylor gives a little bit of everything here. And Redondo's smooth, cinematic art makes the action scenes sing.


10.) Mazebook

- Jeff Lemire had another prolific year in 2021 (not to mention his seminal Sweet Tooth series getting adapted for Netflix). I'm a big fan of almost all of his work, and in 2021 I enjoyed everything from his Black Hammer franchise books to a weird pets-in-space sci-fi story called Primordial. But my favorite of his 2021 output was Mazebook from Dark Horse Comics - a very intimate story that's also a real page-turner. Written and drawn by Lemire, it's the story of a middle-aged man convinced that his long-dead daughter might still, somehow, be alive - and that solving a strange, all-encompassing maze might be the key to finding her. This is the kind of story that Lemire always nails, and I hope we get more like this from him in 2022.


OTHER FAVORITES FROM 2021:

Batman (James Tynion run)
Detective Comics (Mariko Tamaki run)
Captain Marvel by Kelly Thompson
Robin by Joshua Williamson
Black Hammer: Reborn
Catwoman by Ram V
Fantastic Four: Life Story
Life Is Strange
The Human Target
X-Men: Inferno
Fantastic Four by Dan Slott
Task Force Z
Superman and the Authority
The United States of Captain America
Batman: Urban Legends
Lazarus: Risen
Shadecraft
Batman: The Adventure Continues
The Next Batman
Dark Knights of Steel
Firepower
One-Star Squadron
Deathstroke Inc.
Stranger Things: The Tomb of Ybwen
Swamp Thing by Ram V
Made in Korea
Home
Barbalien: Red Planet
Superman '78
Action Comics by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Superman: Son of Kal-El
Far Sector 

WRITERS OF THE YEAR:

1.) James Tynion IV (The Department of Truth, The Joker, Batman, The Nice House On The Lake)
2.) Mariko Tamaki (Detective Comics, Crush & Lobo)
3.) John Ridley (The Other History of the DC Universe, The Next Batman)
4.) Ed Brubaker (Reckless)
5.) Tom Taylor (Nightwing, Dark Knights of Steel)
6.) Jeff Lemire (Mazebook, Black Hammer: Reborn)
7.) Tom King (Rorschach, The Human Target)
8.) Matthew Rosenberg (Batman: Urban Legends, Task Force Z)
9.) Joshua Williamson (Robin, Deathstroke Inc.)
10.) Mark Russell (Fantastic Four: Life Story, One-Star Squadron)


ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Bruno Redondo (Nightwing)
2.) Sean Phillips (Reckless)
3.) Dan Mora (Detective Comics)
4.) Jorge Fornes (Rorschach)
5.) Martin Simmonds (The Department of Truth)
6.) Alvaro Martinez (The Nice House on the Lake)
7.) Mike Perkins (Swamp Thing)
8.) Jorge Fornés (Rorschach)
9.) Amancay Nahuelpan (Crush & Lobo)
10.) Jeff Lemire (Mazebook)