The end of the year is always an excellent time to look back, take stock and then move forward stronger. We cannot do the same things every day of the year and expect that life will figure itself out. My simple, but hopefully impactful resolution for 2019 is to try something new every week. That’s 52 chances to learn something about myself — be it a hobbie I always wanted to try, a show I wanted to watch, or a place I wanted to travel to, every week I want to experience something new.
The same goes for comics: reading a new series, following a new artist or writer, supporting a new publisher or Kickstarter project. Every week on Wednesday we have the chance to make decisions to support up and coming creators. New stories also offer new perspectives, which are needed for cultivating empathy.
But we also have to cherish the things we have. They are essential as well. The constants in our lives, the things we have been loving and following for years and maybe even decades, are just as important, as the new. In the following categories, I tried to balance both aspects.
And as always, it is worth the reminder that these lists are composed of things I read in the last year and not meant to be a complete representation of the entire comics medium. In addition to that, there is no ranking; it is hard enough to decide on only five comics per category. To get a good overview of the year, I recommend comparing different lists, but, for now, let’s have some fun with the best comics of 2018!
Best first issue
- Middlewest #1
- Killmonger #1
- Murder Falcon #1
- Man-Eaters #1
- The Unstoppable Wasp (2018) #1
Best new series
- Isola
- Unnatural
- Domino
- Come Into Me
- Crowded
Best ongoing series
- The Wicked + The Divine
- Saga
- Fence
- Batman
- Giant Days
Best mini-series
- New World
- The Weatherman
- Infidel
- Mister Miracle
- Batman: White Knight
Best storyline
- Wonder Woman / Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour
- Power Rangers: Shattered Grid Event
- Darth Vader: Burning Seas
- Barrier
- Dark Knights Metal and the repercussions in the following Justice League titles
Best One-Shot
- X-Men: Black – Magneto #1
- Captain America Annual #1
- Journey Into Mystery: The Birth of Krakoa #1
- A Life in Comics
- The finale of Mighty Thor
Best LGBTQ+ WebComics
- Breaks
- Eyes On Me
- Valentine
- Jamie
- 19 Days
Best Graphic Novel
- The Planet of the Apes: Visionaries
- My Boyfriend is a Bear
- My Heroes have always been Junkies
- Nimona
- A Girl in the Himalayas
In some categories, like mini-series, ongoing series or new series, I could have listed twenty things, and it still wouldn’t be enough. It was a great year for comics.
In other categories, I wanted to read more but just didn’t get around to it — especially Graphic Novels. So here are some OGN’s I am looking forward to reading over the holidays:
- Dodo
- About Betty’s Boob
- On a Sun Beam
- Come again
- Bingo Love
- The Prince and the Dressmaker
As great as these stories might be, besides reading a lot of comics and eating good things, don’t forget to spend some quality time with the people in your life.
Happy holidays!
