We Multiversity Staffers have a lot of opinions and stories about the comics we love. Now that the decade is coming to a close, we thought it’d be nice to take a small cross-section of those comics and present them to you, our dear readers. Interwoven across years, each of the staff who participated brought a narrative and a bit of themselves to their choices. Some wrote more, some wrote less. One even wrote a framing intro which, honestly, captures many of my own thoughts. Let us know which were your own best of each year and join us again tomorrow for the rest.
Jake Hill – If I told you what I thought was the best comic of each year of this decade, I bet I’d come up with a pretty conventional list. “Saga” is obviously a superb book, and I was consumed by “Hawkeye” in 2012, the same as everybody else. So I set out to put together a more personal list, picking not necessarily what I knew to be the greatest books, but my personal favorites from every year. But doing that showed me how much comics have become part of my life. What I liked in any given year told you more about what my year looked like than what that year looked like for comics. I changed. The world changed. The way I read comics changed.
So I embraced the subjective nature of list making, and decided to look at my decade in comics. Some years I learned something about the medium. Some years I learned something about my self. As with any list, it really illustrated how far I am from where I was ten years ago (in college for one). I suspect that ten years from now, just as much will be different. But until that time comes, here’s how the 2010s were for me, in comic book form.
Elias Rosner – Somehow, I managed to write too much almost every time. Sorry y’all.
2010
Jake’s Pick: “Thanos Imperative” by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Miguel Sepulveda, Jay David Ramos, Wil Quintana, and Joe Caramagna
“Thanos Imperative” was the end of that sprawling sci-fi epic, and was essentially the end of Abnett and Lanning’s partnership. Both have gone on to do other work. Some of it has even been good! “Guardians of the Galaxy” was adapted into a hit film and became more popular than ever. But this miniseries marked the end of that blazing hot alchemy. A literal decade later, and I’m still waiting for a Marvel outer-space epic that hits me as hard as this series did.
Elias’ Pick: “Saturn Apartments” by Hisae Iwaoka
I was not an avid reader of comics in 2010 and, in the years since, have read far more before and after so finding a comic for this year was a challenge, compounded by the fact that all the manga I read had been published months, if not years, prior to coming out in the states. “Saturn Apartments” fits this bill but, thankfully for my list, the ending was running in 2010 in Japan while the beginning was coming out here and both sections are fantastic. The early chapters of “Saturn Apartments” lean comedic, while the latter lean far more serious as the plot takes shape and comes to a close.
Continued belowIwaoka crafts in seven volumes a fully fleshed out future but firmly grounds it in the day to day of a space window washer with dreams of going down to Earth, the trials and tribulations he experiences and the people he interacts with constituting the bulk of the manga. It’s a story that I want to return to time and time again, knowing it will welcome me with open arms, ready to watch me cheer and cry all over again.
Erik’s Pick: “Daytripper” by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, Dave Stewart, and Sean Konot
“Daytripper” is frankly on another level than most comic books. This comic opened my eyes to the potential of comics as a medium and tells a haunting story that I’ll always love.
Justin’s Pick: “The Boys” by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
“The Boys” doesn’t treat superheroes fairly, and thank god for that. It’s sly, and brutal, and never lacks for a whimsical and immature punchline. Ennis elevates the act of hating superhero to a singular art form. The Boys is a comic I never get tired of rereading.
Kevin’s Pick: “Fantastic Four” by Jonathan Hickman, Dale Eaglesham, Neil Edwards, Steve Epting, Paul Mounts, Rus Wooton, et. al.
While this story would get bigger and grander, all of the seeds were placed early and you can tell that Hickman, Eaglesham, Edwards, and Epting are having the time of their lives. Marvel’s First Family is filled with kindness, love, intrigue and everything in between.
2011
Jake’s Pick: “Demon Knights” by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves, Oclair Albert, Marcelo Maiolo, Jared K. Fletcher, et al.
I graduated college in 2011 and after bumming around, got my first job working at a comic shop. This was around the time the New 52 was just kicking off, and I had never been a DC guy. I decided that now was my chance, I had access to all the books, so I read all 52 #1 issues. Most were… bad. But I didn’t have any preconceived notions or favorite characters. Not really. I was coming into it fresh.
So I was completely transfixed by “Demon Knights,” a sort-of-forgotten series by Paul Cornell with art by Diogenes Neves. It told the secret history of the DC universe in Arthurian times, doing a very solid mashup between superhero storytelling and traditional fantasy. There was a paralyzed warrior who battled from horseback, a rhyming demon, an alchemist traveling the world. . .
The fantasy heroes in a dark setting reminded me of one of my favorite books: a little novel called A Game of Thrones. And hey, after years of evangelizing the series, 2011 was also the year the Game of Thrones show started. I thought this was the beginning of a new fantasy golden age.
It. . .wasn’t. “Demon Knights” was canceled after 23 issues, and nothing really rose to fill the void. And Game of Thrones. . .well, that didn’t end so well either. But in 2011, the future seemed promising and full of potential. And it was, just not in the ways I would have predicted.
Elias’ Pick: “Rachel Rising” by Terry Moore
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A woman in a small town comes back from the dead to find out who killed her only to discover a much darker, much older conspiracy at work. Along the way, we meet a colorful cast of ne’er-do-wells and slowly unravel the mystery, all as the snow falls and blankets the town in a cover of white and bone-chilling cold. Oh, and it’s all in B&W and done by Terry Moore, who I have gushed about a lot on the site. Yes? Well, then you know why “Rachel Rising” is my pick for 2011. Tense and the perfect horror treat for a cold winter’s night, I read this entirely on ComiXology unlimited and then proceeded to buy the entire rest of his library because it’s just. that. good. Give it a read, support “Five Years,” give it a re-read. You won’t be disappointed.
Erik’s Pick: “Daredevil” by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Marcos Martin, Chris Samnee, et. al.
Waid and co’s “Daredevil” feels like lightning in a bottle. No other series in this decade comes close to the quality of issues with the longevity of the title.
Continued belowJustin’s Pick: “Hark! A Vagrant” by Kate Beaton
In some sense, this comic was inevitable. An artist was bound to appear with Tumblr sensibilities and a high-end education. But what wasn’t inevitable was how good Beaton turned out to be, how sharp her pen was, and how hilarious it all is.
Kevin’s Pick: “Batman” Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt
The New 52 kicked off with, well, 52 books, and the beginning of the Snyder/Capullo Bat-dominance. I love this book, I loved this run. This is my Batman.
2012
Jake’s Pick: 2012- “Thor: God of Thunder” by Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic, Dean White, Ive Svorcina, Joe Sabino, et al.
I’m pretty sure the whole store was reading it- even my good buddy who was a sworn DC guy and Marvel hater. We’d all come to work the day of a new issue and devolve into gibbering messes, cooing about scenes from the book, not able to articulate a thing. Somehow, we still sold a ton of copies.
Aaron’s run has been one of the best constants of the decade. Any time I’ve had a friend flirt with getting into comics, or consider trying something new, I’ve been certain that Jason Aaron “Thor” is always a good recommendation. It was the great unifier. At the end of the decade, it only seems right the series ends on as strong a note as it started.
James’ Pick: “Saga” by Brain K. Vaughn, Fiona Staples and Fonografiks
It’s “Saga.” It’s Star Wars that fucks. It’s Shakespeare that you can finish. It’s Game of Thrones but bigger and with more sex. “Saga” is probably the best comic you’ll read. It’s endlessly accessible, perfectly stand-alone, and so intrinsically comic book-ish that it will endure for years and years to come.
Elias’ Pick: “Skip Beat” by Yoshiki Nakamura
I did a DMT on this about a year ago. That sums up my thoughts. But why 2012? Well, this was when we got the ‘Violence Mission’ (in America) and the ‘Dark Breath’ (in Japan) arcs, which was “Skip Beat” firing on all cylinders in the will-they/won’t-they, just how awkward can this get?, deep emotional connections, backstory ahoy!, and sheer ridiculous comedy fodder categories. Basically, Ren & Kyoko are pretending to be American Goth siblings while on an acting job. Method acting that is as weird as it sounds but somehow far better than Jared Leto’s Joker BS.
Erik’s Pick (tie): “All-New X-Men” and “Uncanny X-Men” by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, Chris Bachalo, et al.
“All-New X-Men” was my reintroduction to the Marvel Universe. Certain areas of the series have not held up well, but I’ll always love this take on the original five members of the X-Men. Between the two, I did prefer “Uncanny X-Men” and the new cast of characters including Tempus, Benjamin Deeds, and Triage.
Justin’s Pick: “Hawkeye” by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, Chris Eliopoulos, et al.
I don’t laugh out loud at a lot of comics. I did with Fraction and Aja’s Hawkeye. A lot.
Kevin’s Pick: “Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man” by Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, Chris Samnee, David
Marquez, Justin Ponsor, Cory Petit
One of the first comics I made it through a whole long run of on Marvel Unlimited was “Ultimate Spider-Man.” While Peter Parker’s adventures were cool and all, Bendis, Pichelli, Marquez and co. broke out all the stops when Miles Morales debuted. This is a story of family, betrayal, and heart that looks gorgeous.
2013
Jake’s Pick: 2013- “Greasers in Greece” by Dimitios Fragiskatos and Thomas Griffin
In 2013, I thought the people who got to review comics on the internet were lucky and cool. (How jaded I have become). I never thought I would be someone who wrote reviews, and I never thought I would even know someone who created comics. But in 2013 my Midtown Comics boss Dimitrios Fragiskatos wrote and published a comic he had been talking about since before I knew him. I had never taken him seriously, figuring that “Greasers in Greece” had to be a joke.
Continued belowBut comics is a world where jokes like that can be willed into being, and watching Dimitrios do just that was goddamn inspirational. Not only was it an impressive feat, it taught me about that crucial moment when your idea transforms from something you own, to something that exists in the world for people to discover on their own. I like to be creative but I never finish anything, and so people who complete and publish work? They’re the real superheroes.
Fun fact, Dimitrios went on to open Anyone Comics in Brooklyn, New York, the best damn comic shop in the city. He still sells “Greasers in Greece,” and it’s guaranteed to amuse you. Why not go pay him a visit next time you’re in town?
James’ Pick: “Sex Criminals” by Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky, Becka Kinzie and Christopher Sebela
“Sex Criminals” feels like one of the most unique comics out there, it’s funny, heartfelt, subversive and chock full of fluids. It launched the career of Chip Zdarsky, paved the way for self-referential comics like “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” and became one of the premier series at Image. It’s endured through the decade and I can’t wait for it to welcome us into the next one.
Elias’ Pick: “Fatale” by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips & Dave Stewart
It’s Brubaker & Phillips do noir eldritch horror and this year had the interconnected, history spanning one-shots. Nuff said.
Erik’s Pick: “Zero” by Ales Kot, Jordie Bellaire, Clayton Cowles, et al.
“Zero” is a perfect comic book that utilized some of the greatest and underrated comic book talents to tell the sweeping espionage story of Edward Zero whose life becomes an allegory for the physical and psychological pains of violence, war, and masculinity as sons kill fathers and fathers kill sons.
Kevin’s Pick (tie): “Avengers” / “New Avengers” – Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opeña, Adam Kubert, Dustin Weaver, Mike Deodato, Steve Epting, Lenil Yu, et al
This won’t be the last Hickman book on my last. You like it when writers actually put your favorite Marvel characters through the ringer philosophically/morally/intellectually while also having them fight an intergalactic war? Yeah me too. This is the gold standard for big team and universe-spanning stories. Until, of course, 2019.
2014
Jake’s Pick: “The Wicked and the Divine” by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson, Clayton Cowles et al.
I was already a diehard fan of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie from their earlier work. Gillen had done “Journey Into Mystery” and “X-Men.” McKelvie had done “Cable.” Together the two of them had created “Phonogram” and were the stewards of “Young Avengers.” That last one was truly my big step into modern fandom, the kind that exists both on the internet and in meatspace. I knew that “The Wicked + The Divine” was gonna be my jam. Before it was even released I was waving copies of the promotional poster at friends.
I loved WicDiv, which ended this year. My love for it was deeply personal. As my life changed, the book seemed to follow me, hitting me with questions about identity, mortality, and the various roles we force ourselves to play. I think “Wicked + Divine” is one of the best comic series of all time, easily up there with the likes of “Watchmen” and “Sandman.”
But more than any other work in any medium, WicDiv affected my life. I saw it creep into the clothes that I wore, and the websites I visited. When my girlfriend and I were on a long car ride, we’d assign every song on the radio a WicDiv character, and argue about why the other one was wrong. I made friends- real life friends who I care about- through WicDiv. This series will forever remind me that these funnybooks we all like can really have lasting consequences. Silly to some, they can change what you think, who you love, and who you are.
James’ Pick: “Southern Bastards” by Jason Aaron, Jason Latour, Jared K. Fletcher, and Rico Renzi
“Southern Bastards” had a shining debut in 2014, powering through an incredible opening arc that built a town of compelling and layered personas. The whole series has this feeling of grounded mythology that’s reminiscent of Jason Aaron’s work on “Thor.” Though, what I think really made “Southern Bastards” the pinnacle of 2014 was how it subverted story tropes to show us just how much of a bastard the south can be.
Continued belowElias’ Pick: “Sandman Overture” by Neil Gaiman, J.H. Williams III, Dave Stewart, and Todd Klein
It’s J.H. Williams on “Sandman” and is just as trippy and gorgeous as you expect. The perfect Coda for the series. This was also around the time that I was really getting into comics, so the publication of “Overture” coincided with my completion of the original series and the thirst for just a little more of that mythic dream.
Erik’s Pick: “Elektra” by W. Haden Blackman, Mike del Mundo, Marco D’Alfonso, and Clayton Cowles
Enter Mike del Mundo. This was my first introduction to the exquisite work of del Mundo. More than his later work which happily introduces weird and psychedelic elements, “Elektra” felt more grounded and more willing to play with horror. The series also produced two very memorable characters with Matchmaker and Bloody Lips.
Justin’s Pick: “Megahex” by Simon Hanselmann
Megg, Mogg and Owl is not a comic I recommend to everyone, but for the type of reader who loves the genre of depressing views of people living at the edges of proper society—and, I know, that’s a pretty specific genre — Hanselmann is one of the best. I devour every book in this series.
Kevin’s Pick: Ms. Marvel – G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Ian Herring, Joe Caramagna, Sara Amanat, et al
While I like big concept stories, nothing captured my heart this decade quite like “Ms. Marvel” did. Simply put this is perhaps my favorite run of a comic this decade. WIlson, Alphona, and Herring inject so much into Kamala Khan and her rise to prominence has been unfounded. Everything about this run is about the difficulties of being a teenager mixed with what Marvel is best at: debates about responsibility. All this from the perspective of the now most prominent Muslim character in comics at a time when so much of the discourse about religion in the U.S. is abysmal, fear-mongering and naive. We needed this book in this decade, and I will forever thank Wilson and Amanat for it. آمین
