For our 2023 Year in Review, we’ve got a different approach. With the world feeling colder and more distant, we wanted to turn the tide in our coverage and give the most personal approach to our wrap ups yet. Over the next week or so, you’ll be hearing from our staff on what they felt was the best of 2023. We hope you enjoy.
Best Ongoing: “The Amazing Spiderman”
I was thinking that my choice might be controversial, but then I remembered that fans always hate the most recent volume of ASM, so who gives a damn. I truly believe that we got something magic in this era by Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr, Ed McGuinness and company.
I’m going to be honest with you, some of these concepts, I don’t like: MJ has powers, Osborn is good, you can take the “evil” from someone and deposit it on other person, thus creating a “Spider-Goblin,” but then, Zeb Wells manages to deliver an appealing story with both hilarious and dark moments.
This is how ongoings should be handled: different stories with different feelings for each story arc and volume. This year we got ‘Dark Web,’ which I didn’t really like, then the long-brewing story of Peter and MJ’s breakup and the villain Benjamin Rabin, with the emotional death of Ms. Marvel (who is alive again). Then we got an hilarious story with the return of Doc Ock; a story featuring Kraven, where he imbues Peter with the goblin’s evil which turned out to be an interesting tale; and finally, the beginning of ‘Gang War,’ which is poised to be an exciting street-level adventure.
On the art side, John Romita Jr. keeps firing all cylinders. His most recent work might not be perfect, but is as enthralling and charming as ever, and when he is not in charge, Ed McGuinness brings dynamic, expressive and often hilarious art.
Runner Ups: “Fantastic Four,” “Nightwing” and “What’s the Furthest Place from Here?”
Best Writer: Kelly Thompson
Kelly Thompson had one hell of a year, she finished her soon-to-be-classic run on “Captain Marvel,” where she did exactly what I was talking about above, using an ongoing to bring a different tone to every arc.
Then she began two new creator-owned books, starting with “The Cull,” with photorealistic artist Mattia De Iulis, telling a Goonies-esque adventure in an alternate dimension, with magic, weird species, and superpowers, which makes the story and art very enticing. The other book is “Black Cloak” with artist Meredith McClaren, a fantasy-set detective story, with minimalist art that resembles 8-bit videogames; it’s a great book, with many mysteries to uncover.
And finally, she put out her newest ongoing for a big company, debuting on the Distinguished Competition, with the book “Birds of Prey,” with art from Leonardo Romero, a Pull-No-Punches adventure featuring Black Canary and company breaking bones on a rescue mission.
Every book has its own flavor, with distinctive art and different storytelling techniques — this year, Kelly Thompson confirmed why she deserves a place in comics herstory.
Best New Series: “Transformers”
Holy smashing metal! This year we got the surprise that the license for Hasbro-owned comics now belongs to Image/Skybound, and we got truly inspired beginnings, but the one that blew the doors off was “Transformers.”
The formula for a successful book is so simple, and yet, sometimes editors fail in doing it: just put someone who loves the characters and let them run wild! That is the case with this book: Daniel Warren Johnson has been a fan of Transformers since he was a child, and you can tell that he knows and cares about the characters in his writing.
There are only three issues out now, but is easy to tell that this is going to be a book that we will talk about for years. Johnson’s style of art fits perfectly: his dynamic movements and epic poses work as if he was born to do this title, and he adds his own flavor, with heavy wrestling moves that mean the characters fight like we’ve never seen them before.
Runner Ups: “Enfield Gang Massacre,” “Void Rivals” and “Wonder Woman.”
Continued belowBest Ending: “Black Hammer: The End”
Jeff Lemire is finally saying goodbye to his and Dean Ormston’s universe. What began as a meditative piece about the importance (or not) of superheroes, slowly turned into a family drama where Lucy Weber, the heir to the Black Hammer, has to choose between being a hero and saving the multiverse, or keeping her family together and safe.
In this last volume, everything comes together, as the heroes of the Multiverse try (and fail) to defeat the Anti-God, while the family of Lucy are trapped on the Farm. The book hasn’t ended yet, we have two issues to go, but so far it has been a proper goodbye to the world of “Black Hammer,” emphasizing the end of existence and the end of a family are equal tragedies, and maybe, just maybe, love (or something else?) can save it all.
Runner Ups: “Fire Power” and “I Hate This Place”
Best Issue That is Just One Continuous Scene: “Danger Street” #9
You know, I’m a sucker for Tom King, he’s always exploring the limits of the form in the medium. “Danger Street,” created with Jorge Fornes, is a difficult book to describe, featuring all the characters from the 12-issue “1st Issue Special,” brought together in their own adventures, but still all bound by the helmet of Dr. Fate.
Whether you agree or not that this book is landing successfully, nobody can deny the skill and artistry of issue #9, which is a fight between Codename: Assassin, who is the bodyguard of a member of the Green Team, and Manhunter, who is on a mission to kill the kid.
As they fight physically, they also have a very educated debate about the implications of this duel, each arguing for their side and how they will win, even after death. I have to warn you, it’s a complicated read, as it’s not easy reading the same dialogue for over 30 pages, but is a rewarding story to read.
The Saga Award for Best “Saga” Comic: Volume Eleven
Shotout to the best comic book of the decade still rocking, this volume still has a slow rhythm, but that’s not a bad thing. While Agent Gale is trying to hunt Alana and her children, Petrichor seeks revenge, and Hazel discovers that maybe she can revive her father, only to be left disappointed.
As always, Brian K. Vaughan brings stellar writing, and Fiona Staples is on a roll, giving us gorgeous, unmatched art. To be honest, there’s not much more to say: I just love to have this book back.
