Despite being nearly two weeks into the new year I thought it would still be at least somewhat relevant to do a post about my favorite comics of the year. Looking back on 2016 I realize just how great of a year we had in comics. Between DC Rebirth and some kick ass indie titles, it hasn't exactly been a dull moment in the industry. Now that being said as I was making this list I found myself struggling between all the wonderful comics I happened to read in 2016 versus those that debuted and ran throughout the year. So unfortunately some of my favorite reads including Plutona, Secret Six, We Can Never Go Home, and Paper Girls won't be making this list merely out of the fact that I'm trying to stick to comics that launched during the year. On another quick note, as much as I wanted to include Motor Crush on this list I didn't think it fair considering it only had one issue during 2016. (But seriously stop what you're doing and read MOTOR CRUSH.) Keep in mind these books are in no particular order, because at the end of the day they are all wonderful and deserve to be read. That and my mind might actually explode while trying to arrange them.
Frostbite - Joshua Williamson & Jason Shawn Alexander
I am a sucker, like HUGE sucker for post apocalyptic related things. Considering that Mad Max: Fury Road is one of my favorite movies, and Last of Us is one of my favorite video games it should be no surprise that Vertigo's FROSTBITE is currently one of my favorite comics. Frostbite is set in a modern wasteland that has been overcome by (you guessed it) the new ice age. Following the footsteps of a young mercenary named Keaton, she is tasked with escorting a scientist who has claims to the cure of Frostbite, a deadly and infectious disease that may just be more dangerous than the frozen wasteland around them. I literally cannot put into words how much I love this book. Post apocalyptic media is typically one that has been overdone, however Josh & Jason have created such a magnificent world that brings a new twist to the genre. I mean they use giant polar bears as tracking dogs. HOW COOL IS THAT?! [COMIXOLOGY]
Green Arrow - Benjamin Percy & Otto Schmidt & Juan Ferreyra
I've waited five long years for the return of my Oliver Queen. Between that god awful television show and his treatment in the new 52 it honestly felt like Oliver Queen was on hiatus for five long years. Green Arrow Rebirth is everything I ever wanted from a Green Arrow comic and then some. It honestly blends the best parts of him from Denny O'Neal, Mike Grell & Judd Winnick all into one super comic. We're back to the roots of Green Arrow, with loud smart mouthed attitude as he fights for the little guy and against the "man". Of course this also means the return of the Black Canary, an equally essential part to the Green Arrow universe next to the iconic goatee. I mean I center when i pick up my comics around this book. Between the art, the plot and the dialogue I just can't fall much more in love with a book then I do with Green Arrow. If you've been hesitant about this one, DON'T. Fans of Oliver Queen both new and old NEED to have this book on their pull. Call me biased but this is the best book in the Rebirth lineup right now. [COMIXOLOGY]
Reborn - Mark Millar & Greg Capullo
This might just have been one of the most anticipated comics of 2016. Maybe not necessarily for me, but for everyone else. It just seemed like one of those comics everyone was talking about. So upon release I decided to give it a shot. I mean I liked Mark Millar's work on Empress, & Greg Capullo on Batman, so why not? Let me tell you right now, I'm so glad that I did. Reborn was one of those comics that just infected my brain and had me thinking about it nonstop for at least a week. It takes the idea of reincarnation and rebirth to a whole other level. Mark & Greg have created a stunning fantasy world afterlife. It takes the idea of life after death and expands upon it ten fold. Following a woman deemed as the chosen one, she's thrown into a world of chaos with the notion that she's the one to save them all. I absolutely adore this comic to pieces and have been slowly trying to force everyone I know to read it. Between the this unique perspective on life after death and the stunning art it's one of those comics that you just have to read for yourself. [COMIXOLOGY]
Snotgirl - Bryan Lee O'Malley & Leslie Hung
Definitely the cutest comic of 2016. No seriously this comic is like make you want to throw up it's so cute, CUTE. Lottie is a fashion blogger, dealing with a mess called life. I love the cute little references to everyday things like Instagram, Twitter and even Facebook. Lottie is definitely the blogger I want to be one day, ya know for comics versus fashion. Actually I'm sure there's a little bit of Lottie in all of us. I'm seriously in love with every character of this book and I know I've said the word cute like nine times but have I mentioned how FREAKING CUTE SNOT GIRL IS. The dialogue is seriously quippy and I just love it all so gosh darn much. Snotgirl will be taking a minor break until the spring so right now is the perfect time to catch up on the first five issues. One thing is for sure I'll definitely be picking up the trade for this one upon it's release even if I already have the issues. Snotgirl IS the cutest comic book of 2016 *Mic Drop* [COMIXOLOGY]
4 Kids Walk Into A Bank - Matthew Rosenberg & Tyler Boss After falling in love with We Can Never Go Home by Matthew Rosenberg (which was probably one of my favorite comics of the entire year) I just knew I had to check out his latest creator owned series from Black Mask studios. Centered around four odd, extremely relate-able middle school children, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank deals with the struggles and friendship that come with that age. Everything changes when a gang of ex-cons show up revealing some seriously dark secrets, forcing these four young kids to take matters into their own hands. Every issue begins in this super amazing style that you just have to see for yourselves, placing the main characters themselves into the guise of Dungeon & Dragon characters and even retro arcade characters, among other things. Matthew Rosenberg is the next big guy in comics you guys. Everything he writes is ridiculously good and nothing even comes close in comparison, at least in modern comics. P.s if you enjoyed Stranger Things on Netflix, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank did it first. [COMIXOLOGY]
Superman - Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
I could never get into Superman comics. Actually I could just never get into Superman. Sure he's a precious cinnamon roll, but I could only ever tolerate reading him when he was involved in a group, ie: Justice League & Trinity. So when I heard that Superman Rebirth was going to be focusing more on his family, including Lois and Jon in the picture, I decided I wanted to give it a shot. And I fell in love. Next to Green Arrow this might be my favorite series to come out of Rebirth. This was one of those comics I found myself excited to read week to week. Peter & Patrick had kicked ass on their run of Batman & Robin so it was no surprise that they should do so on the other side of that coin with Superman and his son. It was a delightful and sometimes funny read but was always a heartwarming story. While you could definitely forgo the Superman Rebirth one shot (as it merely ties up some loose ends with the New 52) I definitely think you should give this one a shot, even if you're not entirely into the character. It might completely change your mind. [COMIXOLOGY]
Empress - Mark Millar & Stuart Immonen
Even though this is one of those series I picked up on a whim (I mean hey the preview showed a space queen and giant dinosaur) Empress quickly became one of my favorite comics throughout the entire year. An odd combination of Mad Max, Saga and just a dash of Game of Thrones, this is the space opera of 2016. A queen defies her dictating husband, leading into a mad chase of danger across the galaxy. An exciting blend of action, and intrigue I pined for this series month to month, and while I was disappointed to think that this wonderful series would end so soon, Millar surprised readers that this was far from the end for Empress. I'm telling you guys right now, you're gonna wanna read this one to the end, THAT ending still has me in awe and is one of the many reasons I love this series. I've heard from some people that Mark Millar can be one of those hit or miss writers, but considering I have him in on this list twice, all within the span of one year I don't think the guy is too shabby. [COMIXOLOGY]
Slam - Pamela Ribon & Veronica Fish
Super awesome roller derby ladies, with clear lesbian undertones, what more could I possibly want from a comic. But no seriously why hasn't there been a rad comic about roller derby ladies sooner? Slam from Boom studios is another one of those surprise books for me. While I was intrigued with the idea of it, I didn't realize just how much I would fall in love with it. Following two very different young women, and their journey into the exciting world of Roller Derby, there isn't a single page of Slam that I don't find myself relating too. Slam is just one of those light, super fun reads that still manages to capture those simple emotions we all feel with our every day lives (even if we aren't kick ass roller derby ladies. I honestly feel a little bit better about myself with each issue because I realize these emotions and self doubts aren't something that I alone am feeling. It tackles real world feelings in what feels like a surreal world. It's one of those all ages books that is literally perfect for EVERYONE. [COMIXOLOGY]
And that's it, my favorites of 2016. Like I said I read so many comics throughout the year that it was a struggle just trying to narrow them down. I hope you'll take the time to check out at least one of these books on this list (if you haven't already) I can't wait to see what's in store for comics with the new year.
What were some of your favorite comics of the year?
