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Madeline Vega
ON THE FLOOR
Among the rows of comic book boxes were booths for specific publishers and art dealers. Creators could be found among the deals.
When I saw a huge line near Disney publishing, I had to ask what they were all waiting for. Alex Hirsch! Gravity Falls! I hadn’t seen the show yet, but now I get it— especially knowing 2015 was heading into the finale.
Madeline Vega
Luis Vega
Luis Vega
BEST COMICS OF 2015
While it was an uneven year for the big two (Marvel and DC), Image stepped up in a massive way. Luis rounds up the top comics of 2015.
The Vision - The hands-down best book of the year was Tom King’s and Gabriel Walta’s take on the Avenging Android. A truly unique exploration of family and humanity.
Wytches - The first time I ever read Scott Snyder was on his work on American Vampire. This horror book from Image was a return to his comic roots. Jock’s (who previously worked with Snyder on Batman Black Mirror) art was bold and breathtaking. Like Vision, it’s another book on what it means to be a parent.
Saga - Three years in, and Saga continues to set the bar for creativity in comics. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have created such a lush universe. As Alana and Marko seem to be drifting further apart, we are setting the stage for an epic year four.
Paper Girls - Yet another entry from Brian K. Vaughan. This one illustrated by superstar Cliff Chiang. This story about the exploits of newspaper delivery girls in Cleveland is a clear homage to Stan Lee’s days of monthly cliffhangers. Pure comic perfection.
Grayson - Another entry from Tom King. This superspy action drama starring a nontights clad Dick Grayson is as close to James Bond as we’ve ever seen in comics. Unbelievably illustrated by Mikel Janin. Hopefully this duo produces more work together in the future.
Ms. Marvel -Simply put, Kamala Khan has been a revelation. While so many books in the Marvel universe stood pat while waiting for the results of Secret Wars (No. 7 on my list), G. Willow Wilson continued to expand on the exploits of this new hero. So nice to see a diverse, well-rounded female character from Marvel.
Secret Wars - Jonathan Hickman should be praised for simply attempting this year’s in the making book. Tying together all his Avengers titles and stacking his Fantastic 4 run on top of it, this crossover event has been epic. Esad Ribic’s art is visually stunning. Even though the book faced many delays, it was staggering in its scope.
Batgirl - Stewart/Fletcher and Tarr reinvigorated Babs by scaling back her whole operation and moving her away from Gotham. A true millennial take on superheroing. It’s the second Bat title on my list that doesn’t feature Batman at all.
Star Wars - When Marvel landed the Star Wars comics license, I expected the books to be good... I didn’t expect great, but great is what they delivered. Jason Aaron and John Cassady delivered an absolute masterpiece filling in the stories around the movies. I geek out every month.
The Wicked + The Divine - 2015 was a phenomenal year for Gillen and McKelvie’s WicDiv. While 2014 laid wonderful groundwork, 2015 over delivered. This book is such a great look at fame, stardom, art and the good and bad that comes with it.
