I am well aware that it is no longer summer, but I still want to put up this blog to review the comics that I read earlier this year. I'm stepping it up from last year with several more categories and I'm including honorable mentions for some of them. All that, even though I read less volumes than last year at 47 compared to 2017's 55. Not all of this is new it's just what I've read, if you have any recommendations comment them down below. I'm doing the Oscars 2. Start.
Best Black Panther Book
Black Panther: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
By Christopher Priest
Black Panther existed before these comics, but not really in the way you would know him now. This brought in so many concepts and was revolutionary both for comics and diversity. On top of that this story is very funny and feels like it is a movie.
Honorable Mention: Black Panther/ Captain America
Batman: Year One
By Frank Miller
A very classic origin retelling of Batman, this brings in a version of the character that is somewhat freaky and scary and gives a lot of development to Gordon. Year One is better than The Dark Knight Returns and is a required reading for Batman.
Honorable Mention: Batman Beyond vol. 1
New Avengers vol. 1
By Jonathan Hickman
This is legendary and I read it because of Infinity War and it brings up a major showing. The coolest part is when Captain America uses and breaks the Infinity Gauntlet. Just the lore and the saga of this makes a legendary epic.
X-Men Grand Design
By Ed Piskor
Grand Design is a modern retelling of the X-Men, still with a very retro take. This was actually published in 2018 and was also the best comic published this year that I read. Piskor does the writing and art, he also recolored the actual original first issue of X-Men. And I really like how he incorporates all of the X-Men lore and characters.
Honorable Mention: Generation X Vols. 1&2
Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage
By Tom Defalco
While this book is long and somewhat dated, Maximum Carnage is probably the best Carnage story in existence. It also gives good insight for Spider-Man and Venom, as well as featuring many other heroes and villains. Fan-favorite.
Honorable Mention: The Amazing Spider-Man Vols. 1&2
Maus II
By Art Spiegelman
Even though this book is about animals like mice, cats, and pigs, it is one of the most human comics on this list. Maus I and II are both about Art Spiegelman's father's experiences in the holocaust, with different ethnic groups represented by animals. And it is independently published, which is a plus for lots of people. This is the second volume, I'd recommend it as well as the first.
Honorable Mention- Optimus Prime vol. 1
Best Star Wars BookDarth Vader vol. 1
By Charles Soule
This must be on here simply for a Force-dream sequence that Vader has of him meeting back with Obi-Wan. But other than that it is a great story, showing the immediate rise of Darth Vader right after Revenge of the Sith. This is a great story with great art and a Star Wars must-read.
JLA: Tower of Babel
By Mark Waid
Batman has contingency plans against every member of the Justice League. What would happen if those plans were stolen and used against Batman and the JLA? This story goes very well into Batman's character and his relations with the rest of the league. Waid is a master writer in this and treads out the story of Batman and the every other character.
Top 3.
By Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim
Summary: Follows Thanos on his mission to court death and destroy half of the universe using the powerful artifacts of the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity Gems, while the "Avengers" are on a mission to stop him.
The is the primary basis for Infinity War, it is able to explore every character in depth in just 4 issues and really sheds more light on Thanos. Adds a very fun spin and feels like thanos is battling the heroes in a game of chess and it is nice to read.
By Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood
Summary: Really unsummarizable, but if I had to, it's a split personality hero being manipulated by Egyptian gods and other characters in and out of outer space, other dimensions, and his own mind.
Moon Knight is very trippy and has spinning stellar art that carries well with the journey and story of this journey. Lemire and Smallwood are gods for this series and it is up there for my all-time favorites. I read the Legacy series to this also, which is a lot more linear and grounded than this but still continues on naturally and's pretty good.
By Mark Waid and Alex Ross
Summary: Kingdom Come has a human preacher character guided along a trip to watch a civil war between old and new dc heroes.
If you have not yet looked upon the paint art of Alex Ross, you are missing out. And this entire series is painted like that. And as I said before, Mark Waid is a G. So, the writing, story, and themes of this are right there and really put out the the theme of doubt in our heroes. Alex Ross also wrote a first draft of Kingdom Come, establishing one of the greatest DC comics series of all time.
