Alexander "peter bjorn" Fadin In 2024, readers sought solace in the known. Normally, that would be an issue, but this year, a lot of those stories were really excellent and pushed the envelope. Sorting through the innumerable waves of comics that traditional publishers produce every week is nearly impossible, not to mention the graphic novels that are available from different book divisions in all shapes and sizes for readers of all ages. Here is a brief list of the things we adored in 2024, though.
Collecting impressions into one big list. A few comments before the list:
- I've concentrated only on the Big Two (Marvel and DC), with the exception of a few near-superhero series.
- The comic has to accumulate at least 10 issues. So new stuff like Ultimates, Absolute Batman, X-titles from the "From the Ashes" relaunch, or Aaron's Ninja Turtles fly by default.
- I ranked ALL issues in the comic at once, not just those released in 2024. Including if the early consisted of multiple titles. The exceptions were Jed McKay's Moon Knight and Joshua Williamson's Robin.
- Anthologies don't count because of the diverse author lineup (Action Comics, Batman: The Brave and the Bold).
Batman: Zdarsky Run
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Do a little worse and it would have been garbage. As it was, it was a boring, unremarkable, but technically awesome comic about the fight against the wrong Batman (except for the neuro-arc with the Joker - you should be kicked for that).
Nightwing by Tom Taylor
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Had the series ended twenty issues ago, it would have easily vied for a spot in the top of the list. Alas, by its finale, Nightwing had accumulated a critical mass of fillers. Let's not lament the passing - let's smile because there was good stuff. I'm sure Taylor's wounds will be remembered for a long time to come. It's just a shame, it could have been the new Hawkeye, and ended up being the usual DC ongoings of average quality.
Blade + Blade: Red Band
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While the movie was stuck in production Hell, the comic book occupied the most convenient niche for Daywalker - a bloody action movie with a brisk slice of bloodsuckers.
Vengeance of the Moon Knight + Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu
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It's been a strange year for Moon Knight. Drawn from the dead too soon, so it ruined literally every line: both the self-styled successor was not allowed to reveal himself, the tragic experiences of those close to him were quickly dispelled, and Mark himself didn't change much. I wasn't even that disappointed by Ms. Marvel's death-resurrection that much. But I still hope that in the current series Mackay manages to make things right.
Outsiders
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A remake of Planetary, tightly integrated into the DC Universe. The comic constantly sprinkles in meta-commentary, but does so in such an artless way that it quickly becomes predictable. However, as the comic itself tells us, no one is taking away from the original.
Poison Ivy
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Ivy's soliloquy has already lasted three dozen issues, which is already a small miracle! Sometimes she surprises, sometimes you want to flip through faster, but the comic has its own psychedelic-astrosocial charm.
Batman and Robin by Joshua Williamson
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Williamson is back with Damien Wayne to confront him with a new enemy (school). The comic hasn't reached the heights of the first Robin series, but it's still a cool early about growing up, father-son relationships, and finding yourself. Plus for the Robinmobile!
Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver
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Dark Horse. I didn't think of including it in the ranking at all, but I decided to read it along with the rest of the ongoings. And you know what, it's a great comic! Very cozy and beautiful, like Wanda's Emporium. “Scarlet Witch” doesn't strive for experimentation or radical reimaginings, its lovely simplicity is what makes it appealing.
The Flash Series by Simon Spurrier
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Intentionally over-complicated reading is not for everyone. Be prepared to fight the comic, it won't give up on you that easily. But if you take a chance, Spurrier will reward you with... Actually, I have no idea what. The Flash has a winding path, and no one can predict its finish. It's even more interesting that way.
The Immortal Thor by Al Ewing
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If it wasn't for Al Ewing's name on the cover, I'd have given up by now, to be honest. It's boring as both a modern saga of the gods and a superhero comic. The references to older comics bore me deadly. But I'm too tightly entangled in Ewing's long-running concepts - I'm driven by interest to reach the hypothetical point where all his lines reach their zenith. Maybe it's already been in The Immortal Hulk, maybe it's worth looking for in Al's future DC comics, maybe it never will be. But the artwork is divinely beautiful.
Venom + Venom War
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Pure chaos in the flesh. Devastating and inspiring. I've reread it three times already - I must have stared into the abyss for too long.
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America
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The first part about the UK is a masterpiece. A mermaid and a unicorn would be enough to bypass all the earlier listed comics. The second part about the US is a terribly pathetic rant about freedom, the law, the power of ideas, and other well-known truths. The trick is that Spurrier continues to brilliantly prescribe Constantine. Here the brilliant is inseparable from the overstuffed. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a Spurrier comic.
But in time, the empty stuff will still be erased from memory - only the moments for which this wound will be hailed as great will remain. I'll remember the vegetable joke or Clarissa's monologue, not the contrived epilogue for Sandman.
Ultimate X-men by Peach Momoko
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A manga about girls with superpowers? What if it's also a psychological Japanese horror? What if we add the X-Men to it? What if Peach Momoko draws it consistently once a month? Sounds like a pipe dream, but all the ingredients have found their place - an amazing creation.
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