Every year, we send out a survey to some of our favorite creators and ask them questions about the year in comics. We had an incredible response this year, and got creators from all corners of the comics world to weigh in one what they loved about comics in 2016. Every day this week, we will be sharing a different question from our questionnaire.
Hopefully these inspire you to check out some new books, and to give some other books a second look.
Our first question: in 2016, what comic or comics stood out as your favorite books of the year?
Sanford Greene (Artist, “Power Man and Iron Fist,” “Wonder Girl”) – “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” “Mosaic,” “Seven To Eternity”
Sina Grace (Writer, “Iceman,” Artist, “Lil’ Depressed Boy) – I really dug “Tokyo Ghost” by Remender and Murphy. This is a reprint, but I BOUGHT Matt Furie’s “Boy Club” collection this year, had the singles but loved reading em all in one. “Faith,” that book has been fun. Black Mask and Archie have put out some awesome material this year. Adam Hughes’ “Betty & Veronica?” Holy moly.
Sonny Liew (Artist, “Doctor Fate,” Writer/Artist, “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye”) – I discovered Inio Asano and Richard Thompson (“Cul De Sac”) this year – and they were fantastic examples of the manga and comic strip forms, respectively. “Business Cat” was also a diverting, funny read.
Brian Schirmer (Writer, “Black Jack Ketchum”) – What a year! I loved – and studied – each of these: “4 Kids Walk Into a Bank,” “The Fix,” “Black Panther,” “Black Widow,” “Darth Vader,” “Injection,” “Wonder Woman,” “The Black Monday Murders,” “Limbo,” “East of West,” “Southern Bastards,” “Lake of Fire,” “Lazarus.”
Rob Williams (Writer, “2000 AD,” “Suicide Squad”) – “Wild’s End” from Abnett and Culbard, “Superman” by Tomasi, Gleason And Jimenez, “Trees” by Ellis and Howard, “House of Penance” by Tomasi, Bertram, Dave Stewart, “Johnny Red” by Ennis & Burns. I’m inevitably forgetting a bunch of things but they spring to mind. Oh, “Dark Night: A True Batman Story” by Dini & Risso.
Tom Scioli (Writer/Artist, “Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe,” “Super Powers” backup in “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye”) – “Providence” by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows and “Micronauts” were the two comics I followed regularly. “Dark Knight III: The Master Race” for the Frank Miller drawn tipped-in minicomics. “March Volume 3” by Jon Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. I enjoyed all those Marvel “Star Wars” comics.
Moritat (Artist, “The Hellblazer,” “All-Star Western”) – Uh…….
Steve Orlando (Writer, “Supergirl,” “Virgil”) – So many! But some of my favorites were “Sugar and Spike” by Keith Giffen and Bilquis Evely, which really surprised me, “Hot Damn” by Valentin Ramon and Ryan Ferrier, “Power Man and Iron Fist” by David Walker and Sanford Greene, and “Mother Panic” by Jody Houser and Tommy Lee Edwards. “Superwoman” by Phil Jimenez. Also “The Goddamned” by Jason Aaron and Pia Guera has been great.
Michael Moreci (Writer, “Roche Limit,” “ReincarNATE”) – There was a lot of good stuff this year, in my opinion, but some of my favorites were “Seven to Eternity,” “Omega Men,” “The Vision,” “Briggs Land,” and “House of Penance.” “Hellboy in Hell” ended great, and “Revival” and “Harrow County” continue to shine.
Fabian Rangel Jr (Writer, “Space Riders,” “Doc Unknown”) – I really dug a lot of the new creator-owned stuff Dark Horse did this year like “House of Penance,” “Weird Detective,” and “Black Hammer.” “Ether” just started off really strong, too. “Harrow County” is always really good, and I also got all three volumes of Victor Santos’ “Polar” from Dark Horse. Love those. The end of “Hellboy in Hell!” Over at Image my current favorites are “Rumble,” “Head Lopper,” “Southern Bastards” and “Paper Girls.” Eric Powell’s book, “Hillbilly,” is also a fantastic new series. And “Doom Patrol” is weird and fun to read, and looks gorgeous.
James Harren (Artist, “Rumble,” “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth”) – Simon Roy’s “Habitat.” Read it. I got into the ongoing French series “The Last Man” and have been thoroughly enjoying that. Can’t wait for more. The first two volumes of the manga “Goodnight Punpun” was a strange and engrossing read. “I am a Hero” is a great read as well. And Dark Horse released the American version of Kentaro Miura’s “Gigantomaxia.” It’s a bonkers one volume indulgence into a very strange world.
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Joshua Hale Fialkov (Writer, “Exodus: The Life After,” “Punks”) – Bar none, I have to say “Kaijumax” by Zander Cannon. Just the best damn book on the planet. Smart, hilarious, breathtaking, heartbreaking. Everything you want in a comic book.
Brian Hurtt (Artist, “The Sixth Gun,” “Poppy”) – I have to preface all of this by saying that I don’t read nearly as many comics as I would like and when I do get around to my to-do pile I’m often a quite behind. That said, I did manage to read a few great books this year. In no particular order:
“Paper Girls” by Brian K. Vaughn, Cliff Chiang, and Matt Wilson. For me, this was the biggest surprise. I’ve been a big fan of both Vaughn and Chiang for quite a while but for some reason the premise of this just didn’t grab me. I finally got around to picking up the trade and by the end of the first issue I was a completely on board. It’s such an original concept and it’s apparent that the creators are having a blast on it. This is one that I recommend to everyone. It trades on the kind of 80’s nastalgia that made Stranger Things such a hit but is for more unique and original in its voice (not a dig on Stranger Things). I should also note that this book has one of the best cover designs in comics.
“The Goddamned” by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guerra, and Giulia Brusco. I loved “Scalped,” so this was a project that I had been excited for from the moment I heard about it. An Old Testament Western starring the wandering and immortal Cain. If you aren’t already on board then you need to check it out. Vulgar, violent, and beautiful.
“Kaijumax” by Zander Cannon. I’m mentioning this for a couple reasons. First, the diffuculty is summing up this book is one of the great things about it. The logline is something along the lines of “Oz meets Pacific Rim”. But as is always the case with Zander Cannon, he subverts all expectations and formula and delivers something that is both satire and drama. Funny and touching. Cartoonish and heartbreaking. The Saturday morning cartoon art both serves the story and is also subversive. More than anything, I look for any reason to promote Zander. He’s one of the most original voices in comics and he deserves his due. is comic series ”Replacement God” (from the 90’s) is one of my all time favorite series and made me a fan. His graphic novel “Heck” (from a few years ago) is one of my all-time favorite GN’s. Like “Kaijumax,” it’s a book that sneaks up on you and stays with you for years. I highly recommend seeking it out!
“Harrow County” by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook. Gotta throw a bone to my “Sixth Gun”/”Damned” partner in crime, Cullen Bunn. In all seriousness, like the books I mentioned above, this is a title like nothing else out there. It’s a southern gothic fairy tale that is an example of two creators firing on all cylinders and complimenting each other perfectly. This is a book that no two other artists could create. It’s so specific to their individual voices. It’s beautiful and atmospheric. And it’s also creepy as hell.
“Southern Bastards” by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour. Those of us that have known these two for years were so excited when they finally put their heads together and created this amazing series. We were excited, but not surprised, by how masterful it was. It’s a windy, unpredictable series about crime, football, and, as the title says, Southern bastards. Like “Harrow County,” this is a book that is born of the DNA of its creators and it comes across as so true and honest. A complicated and uncynical love-story to the south.
“The Fade Out” by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitweiser. What’s to say about these creators that hasn’t been said before? They do a book, it’s gonna be on my best of the year. They both seemed to revel in this noir tale set in Old Hollywood and It seems like the work they’ve been building to for years.
Continued belowRyan Browne (Artist, “Curse Words,” “God Hates Astronauts”) – The stand out book of the year was definitely “Kaijumax.” I am so jealous of the world that Zander Cannon has been able to create. Funny, bizarre, and weirdly heart-breaking. The best comic I’ve read in a very long time.
Donny Cates (Writer, “The Paybacks,” “Interceptor”) – It’s hard to not just scream “Southern Bastards,” right? But beyond that, I really enjoyed all the Young Animal books (Especially “Doom Patrol.” I mean, Nick Derrington, right?!) “The Vision,” “Reborn,” “Sheriff of Babylon,” the new Spidery books (both Parker and Miles) have been great. I really enjoyed “Secret Wars,” I thought (and still think!) “Old Man Logan” is outstanding, the Aftershock titles have been top notch all around (“American Monster” especially). Hmm what else…”The Goddamned!” “Unworthy Thor! “The Doorman” from Heavy Metal was a favorite of mine, too! Tons of great comics this year!
B. Clay Moore (Writer, “Savage,” “Aloha, Hawaiian Dick”) – “Southern Bastards,” “Generation Zero,” “The Vision,” “Sheriff of Babylon,” “Rasputin.”
Rafer Roberts (Writer, “Harbinger Renegade,” “A+A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong”) – Like everyone else with good taste, I absolutely loved “The Vision” from Tom King and Gabriel Walta. It might have been the best comic series Marvel has put out in at least a decade, and was an amazing breath of fresh air in regards to what super-hero comics (and comics in general) can be.
The Paul Dini and Eduardo Risso “Dark Night” book was also right up there, pushing the envelope on what comics can be and do.
I’ve also been continuing to enjoy David Lapham’s “Stray Bullets,” which always makes it to the top of my reading pile. “The Sweetness” from Miss Lasko-Gross and Kevin Colden made me laugh a ton. And I’ll include Kristen Gudsnuk’s “Henchgirl,” both because I love it and because we’re working on a (currently homeless) project together.
Ryan Ferrier (Writer, “Hot Damn,” “D4VE”) – “4 Kids Walk Into A Bank,” “Limbo,” “Doom Patrol,” “Violent Love,” “All-Star Batman,” “Civil War II: Kingpin,” “The Forevers,” “Southern Bastards”, “James Bond”…There’s dozens of others unmentioned, and it kills me.
Matthew Rosenberg (“4 Kids Walk Into a Bank,” “Civil War II: Kingpin”) – It was pretty amazing year for comics, in my humble opinion. I really love “Ms. Marvel” a lot. “Someone Please Have Sex With Me” was a must read. “Black Panther” was great. “Kennel Block Blues” was unlike anything else out there. The conclusion to “March” was well worth it. “New Wuvable Oaf” and “Copra” are always reasons to be happy. “Saga” for sure. “Stray Bullets,” always. “The Vision.” The conclusion of “Young Terrorists” was crazy and a total gut punch. “Violent Love” is only 2 issues in but it’s great. “Heartthrob” is pretty special.
Dan Watters (Writer, “Limbo,” “Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame”) – I’m really loving “Shipwreck:” by Warren Ellis and Phil Hester, which is admittedly only two issues in but already gearing up to be an amazing book. I’d say similar for Gerard Way and Nick Derington’s “Doom Patrol,” which feels so very much also a return to the kind of comics that got me into this game in the first place, and yet somehow doesn’t fall into the trap of being overly nostalgic for the Morrison run. I’m enjoying these titles for being intrinsically comic-booky, but on the other hand I’m enjoying “Black Market Murders” as almost the reverse of that; it’s a book stretching the medium to its limits, and doing so within the mainstream. Beyond the bigger publishers, Owen Michael Johnson and John Pearson’s self-published “Beast Wagon” is an astounding piece of surreal and darkly humorous fiction that absolutely everyone should be turned on to.
Alex Paknadel (Writer, “Turncoat,” “Arcadia”) – Bound to offend someone here, so please excuse any omissions, peers and pros! It’s been a bumper year with some truly ground-breaking offerings, but if you push me I’ll have to go for the following:
“Cry Havoc” by Simon Spurrier, Ryan Kelly, Emma Price and all the colorists from Earths 1 through 50.
“Limbo” by Dan Watters and Caspar Wijngaard
“Heartthrob” by Christopher Sebela and Robert Wilson IV
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“Vattu” by Evan Dahm
“4 Kids Walk Into A Bank” by Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss
“No Mercy” by Alex de Campi and Carla Speed McNeil
“Snow Blind” by Ollie Masters and Tyler Jenkins
“I Love This Part” by Tillie Walden
“Picnoleptic Inertia” by Stathis Tsemberlidis
“Joyride” by Jackson Lanzing, Colin Kelly and Marcus To
“Unfollow” by Rob Williams and Mike Dowling
“Red Thorn” by David Baillie and Meghan Hetrick
“Black Mumba” by Ram V and a host of amazing artists.
“Beast Wagon” by Owen Michael Johnson and John Pearson
“Wired Up Wrong” by Rachael Smith
“Kennel Block Blues” by Ryan Ferrier and Daniel Bayliss
“Gutter Magic” by Rich Douek and Brett Barkley
“Kim & Kim” by Magdalene Visaggio and Eva Cabrera
“The Skeptics” by Tini Howard and Devaki Neogi
“John’s Worth” by Jon Chandler
“The Fever Closing” by Liam Cobb
“Geopolitical Manipulation Through the Use of Fungus Based Parasites on 186F” by Lando
“Every Life I Ever Live”’ by Robin William Scott
“The Forevers” by Curt Pires, Eric Scott Pfeiffer and Colin Bell
“Man: Plus” by Andre Lima Araujo
“La Mano del Destino” by J. Gonzo
“The Can Opener’s Daughter” by Rob Davis
“Ultimates” by Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort
“Alex Automatic” by Fraser Campbell and James Corcoran
“Quilte” by John Lees and Iain Laurie
“Revenger” by Charles Forsman
“The Vision” by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Jordie Bellaire
“Injection” by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire
“Terror Assaulter: O.M.W.O.T” by Benjamin Marra
Ollie Masters (Writer, “Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original,” “The Kitchen”) – “Unfollow” was one of my favourite books this year and I don’t think it’s getting the hype it deserves. It’s full of interesting ideas and the entire team are great, Rob and Mike are doing some of their best work on the book, Quinton’s colours and Matt’s covers are fantastic and they’ve had some great guest artists.
There’s only been a few issues so far but “Moonshine” has been great. Azzarello and Risso together are a perfect team for me and I can’t wait to see where this book goes.
It was a shame to see two books I loved end this year “Constantine: The Hellblazer,” which I thought did a really great take on the character, and “Howard The Duck,” which was my favourite big two comic of the year.
Caspar Wijngaard (Artist, “Limbo, “Assassin’s Creed: Locus”) – Regrettably I haven’t had a chance to read as much as I’d like. I’m currently playing catch up. “Paper Girls” was great fun, I’m a big fan of Cliff Chiang art so that was a win for me.
