The Homies 2019
There’s gifts on the fire and logs on the tree, and that means only one thing – it’s time for the annual House to Astonish Homies awards, where we dish out our gongs in various categories to the best and brightest comics of the year.
As always, Paul and I will individually be choosing a winner for each category, but there’s the usual proviso – we want YOU to help, so you all name your picks in the comments, and Paul and I each choose our own, and we talk a bit about each of the three on our awards show.
We’re likely to be recording at the very end of December/start of Jan, so we’re giving you until midnight UK time (7pm Eastern, 4pm Pacific) on December 29 to make your choice. When you list your picks, don’t just name names either, because we’ll be reading out the best comments on the show, so let us know your thinking!
BEST NEW SERIES
This one’s pretty self-explanatory – any comic whose first issue was published between 1 January 2019 and the close of nominations (29 December) is eligible. What new series got your attention the most this year?
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
This one’s a little less self-explanatory – what series, again first published between 1 January and 29 December, did you think was best, with the proviso that it has to be something where the property wasn’t in existence prior to the start of 2018. We’re counting re-use of titles as well as concepts, so Agents of Atlas or Criminal wouldn’t be eligible, but (for example) Coffin Bound or Excellence would.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
The counterpart to the categories above, which covers books whose first issue was published in 2018 or before. They’ve been around the block, but they’ve still got what it takes.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
These are explaining themselves by this point, right? We’re looking for OGNs, one-shots and minis published in 2019 (or partially in 2019, in the case of minis).
FAVOURITE WRITER
FAVOURITE ARTIST
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Each of these three is pretty self-explanatory – whose name on the cover or credits box of a book makes you want to pick it up? Whose work do you most look forward to seeing?
MOST WANTED
This is for the comic, series or graphic novel that saw print this year which you’d want to see more of, whether that be a book that was cancelled before its time, a one-shot or mini that just begs for a follow-up, or an OGN that you’d love to see a sequel to.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
It may have seemed unappealing when you read about it online, and those preview pages may have looked unremarkable, but when you finally got the winner of this category in your hands you were ready to eat your words. What comic, series or graphic novel did you find yourself enjoying much more than you thought you would?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
This is exactly what it says – which creator, creative team, publisher or other contributor to the world of comics really knocked it out of the park this year?
Let us have your picks in the comments thread below, along with your thinking on each one – we’ll read out a range of the responses on our big end-of-year show. Happy nominating!
I feel I can only give my choices for three of the catergories in 2019.
I felt this was an exceptionally poor year for comic books, to be honest.
There were only a few bright spots, for mine.
Best Continuing Series:
Immortal Hulk-
Easily the best comic book currently being published, and one of Marvel’s best books in a number of years.
It’s one of the few comics I truly feel that each issue is worth picking up on a monthly basis.
Best One-Shot:
Hellboy: The Beast of Vargu
It could have been this or the other Hellboy one-shot, released for Halloween.
This one edges that one out slightly as the one I enjoyed more.
Both are excellent stories that do what makes the Hellboy comic one of the best series ever created.
Too bad some of these other recent Hellboy Universe offerings have been so dull compared to something like Beast of Vargu.
Favourite Writer:
Al Ewing-
See my comments on Immortal Hulk.
Ewing is the best writer at Marvel right now, without a doubt.
I hope his upcoming run on Guardians of the Galaxy will live up to my expectations and help make Guardians an exciting comic again.
I also hope that Ewing’s name becomes better known in the comic world.
I also felt it was a poor year.
Best New Series: Lois Lane (or best mini, if it counts as a mini)
Best Actually New Series: Once and Future (mostly by lack of better choices)
Best Continuing Series: Archie (I like Spencer on Archie).
Best Mini: Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle
Favourite Write: Jason Aaron
Most Wanted: Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle
Most Pleasant Surprise: Marauders
I’m not sure nominating Full Circle twice is good, but that’s the most fun comics I’ve read this year, definitely more fun than all the anthologies/annuals Marvel and DC do all year long, and I think they should try doing more of these exquisite corpses with quality writers (although actually it can become boring, so let’s say, just once per year ?)
I vote Transformers: Lost Light for Best Continuing Series.
Wait, I only just discovered that Lost Light ended a YEAR ago. My gosh. I had no idea that time had flown by so quickly.
Alright, scratch that, I withdraw my vote and realise sadly I didn’t read anything eligible for that category this year.
BEST NEW SERIES / BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Once & Future—with the caveat that I haven’t read much independent stuff this year. Still, this is good, solid entertainment of the sort I wish was more common.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Spider-Man: Life Story. My love of comics in general grew out of a subscription to Amazing Spider-Man I got as a kid in the early 90s, and precisely when Mark Bagley came onto the book, making him “my” Spider-Man artist forevermore.
And Chip Z.’s execution was excellent: each issue managed to represent the major plot developments and tone of the decade it represented, while still contributing to a lifelong arc for the character. It’s like this book was specifically aimed at me—and I’m not ashamed to say that last page hit me hard.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Kieron Gillen. Though to be fair, this is the first year in a while I haven’t read any Brian K Vaughan stories. I was waiting for Paper Girls to conclude and haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. Quite possible that would change my votes.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
House of X / Powers of X. Had zero interest in ever picking up an X-book again, got talked into trying it, was wowed. None of the new series released afterward has grabbed me, but credit where it’s due, I did try them all. I’ll probably give the main X-Men book a little more time.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Robert Kirkman’s carefully engineered surprise ending to The Walking Dead was an amazing move, I thought, clearly prioritizing the joy he clearly takes in storytelling over the opportunity to make all the money he could from the event of his milestone series’ end. He also gave his readers the parting gift of an enormous sendoff issue at no extra cost.
Should we save time and give all the Homies to Giant Days? 🙂
Just about the only book I rush to read when it comes out is jimmy olsen, so votes there for fraction, lieber, new book, best mini and so on.
HOX/POX should get a Homie for the amount of traffic it has brought to this here website. Too bad so much of it was negative.
Has the Stiff Drink Award category been discontinued? 🙁
1. “House of X / Powers of X. Had zero interest in ever picking up an X-book again, got talked into trying it, was wowed. None of the new series released afterward has grabbed me, but credit where it’s due, I did try them all. I’ll probably give the main X-Men book a little more time.”
Absolutely valid vote for most pleasant surprise and a fair case made, but this definitely fits perfectly with my theory that this is whole exercise was/will prove to be a failure and perhaps a huge mistake. Most of you guys don’t know this, but I took one look at the launch books and I just didn’t understand why they made basically any of the choices they made. Doesn’t even look like an overall improvement to the line, let alone cause for an overhaul. But don’t worry, I’m sure Hellions and X-Corp will be must-reads!
2. I just read the finale to Black Science and it was a gut punch. Kind of used a trope that would have been better if Rick and Morty hadn’t already covered it, but to be fair that trope had already been running through the book, but man that ending stuck with me. So I vote for that for my most “pleasant” surprise even though it was eerie and uncomfortable.
Oh, yeah, Black Science should probably be my Outstanding Achievement pick.
It was one of the few truly perfect comic series.
There were no down part in the series, as each issue was very much worth reading.
It stayed at a consistently high quality throughout the entire series, with a perfect ending.
I definitely recommend that anyone who loves comics should check out Black Science.
Honestly I don’t know if I could handle reading Black Science all the way through again. I think it would hurt too much. Honestly a stunning achievement. Please count this as a vote for that as well, Paul.
Best Mini:
These Savage Shores was not perfect but it was beautiful, unique, and strange. It was just nice to have something from a creative team I didn’t know or care about blow it so thoroughly out of the water.
Favorite Writer:
Jonathan Hickman. I know people are often mixed on his work, and I think I get why, but for my money, he’s the author whose work I am always excited to read as even the worst stuff has an interesting idea at its center. And this year his work was especially top-notch with East of West hitting a number of high notes and X-men taking a legitimately bold new direction.
Outstanding Achievement
Giant Days.
I’m only qualified to nominate Immortal Hulk for best continuing series. It’s the only comic I’m reading now.
That being said, I would also like to nominate it for pleasant surprise and outstanding achievement – I’d given up on Marvel, and comics in general. I come here for the podcast and Paul’s writing. So Immortal Hulk has the outstanding achievement of getting me back into the lcs and the pleasant surprise of a comic I look forward to and love.
Really surprised at all the BLACK SCIENCE love. I tried the first issue, figured it was a “big idea” FF pastiche, and didn’t continue. May give it another try based on all I’m reading here.
Honestly I don’t think Black Science was *quite* as perfect as Chris did. I don’t think it necessarily dragged or anything, but his praise was a bit more than I would have given it. The ending was just so intense and maybe shouldn’t have surprised me and it still makes me uncomfortable, and I think it was an incredibly strong ending based on the story and themes.
I’m honestly torn because I was always planning on reading it through again and sincerely don’t know if I can do it. It will be a long time, if ever. I don’t think I’ve ever been so rattled by a comic. Affected, sure. Rattled, no.
To clarify, there was probably one arc, maybe two, where I wasn’t sure out was really going anywhere (I’m big on stories that end, and I hate when serialized stories just drag on forever; as enjoyable as Saga is, it feels like it’s never going to end and if it ever does I’m not sure I’ll be around for it). And there was one key moment that I thought was just entirely too cheesy (“Imagination!”) but clearly it was always going somewhere and was a finite story
Best ongoing: Saga
Outstanding Achievement: Saga
Ah, I guess Saga wasn’t published in 2019, though the latest trade was released in January, so maybe it squeaks in on a technicality?
I don’t know. I found every story with Black Science enjoyable.
Usually, I feel that a comic hits a low point and drags for a while. Then, it either improves before the ending, or you start to feel like it should have already ended.
I never felt that way with Black Science.
It seemed like Remender was always keeping the characters changing, where it felt like the story was staying fresh.
I always felt like Remender had an end point in mind, but I didn’t mind the journey to take me there.
Some comics, you can see that the creator has an end point, but the journey getting there can feel tedious.
The story ended exactly as it should have too, with the themes that Remender was playing with paying off in the end.
Plus, I loved Remender’s characterization. The back-story and characterization he gave to Grant was just perfect.
I loved that character.
Getting to see the stories that fleshed out his character, the background which made him in to the person we were currently reading. I thought Remender did such a great job with it.
I’m also not qualified to nominate something in all the categories, but here are a few:
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Another one for Immortal Hulk. It’s compelling and gripping, character histories are referenced and used, every issue is better than the last, and the Hulk is actually terrifying. Ewing and Bennett are at the top of their game!
Also, it’s always nice to see Joe Fixit. 🙂
FAVORITE WRITER
Mark Waid. His Doctor Strange has been just great, and has been the most I’ve enjoyed the character in years, if not ever (which I didn’t think was possible). Strange doing new things in space, creating his own magic items instead of using ones he found, and grappling with his hubris (even if only briefly before forgetting the lesson, which is of course what Strange would do). Good stuff. Also, Waid’s KILLING IT with History of the Marvel Universe. 🙂
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Javier Rodriguez for History of the Marvel Universe. Some of my favorite pages of comic art are in this book. Fantastic.
MOST WANTED
For Nick Fury to get off the moon and back to his classic status quo. I know I’m probably only one of three people that really want this, but he’s my favorite and I can’t help it.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle. Lots of fun, great bonus material in the back, and Nick Fury’s in it! 🙂
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
It has to be HOX/POX, doesn’t it? It actually generated real interest in the X-Books for the first time in 15-20 years and got people talking about the X-Men again. That’s worth something, right?
Also, it sounds like I’m going to have to check out Black Science.
I will try to come up with a more-full ballot before the deadline, but seeing this for the first time I feel like someone has to stick up for GI Joe on “Best New Series”. We’ve only had two issues, but they’ve done something with the wacky jingoistic action-figure comic that’s never been done before, created a handfull of interesting new characters, and made me look forward to new issues more than anything else this year.
Couldn’t think of entries for every category, but the ones I did are:
BEST NEW SERIES
House of X/Powers of X. A relaunch that manages, so far, to feel like a genuine rebirth for the entire line of mutant titles. An entirely new status quo, one giant retcon (Moira) that managed to feel both small in scope as regards to continuity changes in the past and hugely consequential for the future, no sense of invasive editorial mandates watering down Hickman’s vision and a real sense of ambition for the comics. I dropped off the X-Books when Bendis took over but these got me back in, like a drug dealer who got his hands on some primo stuff after years of passing along repackaged drain cleaner.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Die. Beautiful art, interesting ideas about fantasy as a genre and RPGs as a hobby.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Giant Days. The best comic on the shelves for several years now. The Wicked and the Divine and Criminal were contenders, but Giant Days is the first thing I read every time its out.
FAVOURITE WRITER
John Allison. I don’t know how he makes each separate page of Giant Days a perfect thing in and of itself, but he does.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Max Sarin. The best cartoonist working today. Their expressions are as good as anything done in the field (Esther showing the face she’s planning on pulling to explain the disappearance of the awful publishing harpies, for instance – a panel which made me burst out laughing) by the absolute masters of the craft. I’m agog at how good they are.
MOST WANTED
Giant Days, which is handy because the same creative team are doing a new comic about Lottie, which I’m sure will scratch the same itch. Horrible to see Giant Days go, but better to go out on top than limp on after it outstayed its welcome, even though I don’t think the latter would have happened for several years yet.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Runaways has remained a lovely little hangout book and is approaching the record for longest ever consecutive run for the title. I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s still on the shelves and still very enjoyable.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The Giant Days team narrowly beat out the Wicked and the Divine team for me. The cricket issue (#50) is possibly my favourite comic from the last ten years, and contains fun, silliness, absurdly beautiful art and an absolutely slugging gut punch in the final panel. I have used the page which describes the rules of cricket more than once to do just that to American friends.
@Robin: DIE debuted last year in December. I only remember because I checked when I was making my own list. Not trying to be all “ackshually”, just letting you know so ya don’t waste your vote.
BEST NEW SERIES
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen is a very enjoyable comedy with outstanding Lieber art. Probably my favourite DC book at the moment.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Die, I guess? I like Gillen and Hans, but to be fair I was expecting to like Die more than I do. It’s still a very good book, just not as much to my taste as I expected.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Immortal Hulk. Fantastic, issue to issue.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
These Savage Shores was great.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Al Ewing.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
I’m going to have to go with Steve Lieber. He’s just fantastic.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
I have a lot of reservations about HOXPOX, but I thought Marte Gracia’s work was stellar.
MOST WANTED
West Coast Avengers. It’s a shame the best book with ‘Avengers’ in the title in years was so short-lived.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE – nothing comes to mind at the moment. I might add something later.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
I’m cheating a bit, since I’m reading this one via Polish editions, which means I’m only halfway through the series, but Giant Days is simply amazing and I won’t be able to vote for it once it finishes here, so… Giant Days.
@Adam: Crap, I was certain Die came out this year. Well, scratch that, then. Time to come up with something else.
To be clear, I just got a little unsure if Black Science was going anywhere or how soon it would get there just a few times. I’m not shy about dropping ongoings and I never really considered dropping it. The problem is I don’t have the courage to read through it again to reassess my recollections.
And, man, the fuss over HOXPOX ’round here. I mean, I get where we are (the ex-X-Axis) but sheesh. I think the only thing that’s truly intrinsically great about it is Pepe Larraz, so I do give it an achievement eyeroll.
BEST NEW SERIES: Criminal
I’m thrilled this wonderful series has returned; it’s still written perfectly, and still drawn perfectly… maybe the colors aren’t quite as strong as they used to be, but the new colorist doesn’t advocate for Trumpism on Twitter, and I’ll happily take that trade. My favorite of the Brubaker/Phillips collaborations, which is saying something.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES: Second Coming
It’s funny and timely, and seems to be enraging all the right people.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES: Immortal Hulk
This is the one I spend the most time discussing with friends after a new issue has arrived. I’ve loved most of Al Ewing’s Marvel work, but here, perfectly matched with artist Joe Bennett, he’s shining.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN: Giant-Size X-Statix #1
It’s Milligan and Allred. More, please.
FAVOURITE WRITER: Al Ewing
The man is in the middle of a classic Hulk run, and has been charged with rescuing the Guardians of the Galaxy. I believe in Al.
FAVOURITE ARTIST: Javier Rodriguez
History of the Marvel Universe is better looking than any mainstream superhero comic has a right to be.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST: Javier Rodriguez
He does it all, folks.
MOST WANTED: More Marvel comics written by Rainbow Rowell.
Maybe not in the spirit of the Most Wanted category, but her Runaways is the best it’s been since BKV, and I’d love to see what else she could do, elsewhere in the universe. Usually novelists-turned-comic book writers don’t hit the ground running like this, but she’s been top notch from the get-go.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: War of the Realms
A big Marvel crossover that wasn’t awful. Didn’t know that was an option.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: The Walking Dead finale.
The surprise that it was ending at all, the giant send-off at the regular issue price, the fact that it actually stuck the landing and was a satisfying ending to the series… I don’t know how they did it. An excellent reminder of what creator owned comics can do that mainstream, corporate series can’t.
FFS, people are allowed to like HoxPox and the current X-men line. We got it the first 6,000 times that you think this is the worst thing to happen to the X-tiles since the beginning of time.
BEST NEW SERIES
The only new series that started in 2019 that I’m still reading is Kelly Thompson’s Captain Marvel. So I’ll go with that.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Pass. Everything I wanted to nominate actually started at the tail end of 2018.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Sonic the Hedgehog from IDW. It’s not the best thing in the world, but it’s like sugar-coated breakfast cereal in comic book form.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Pass. Everything I wanted to nominate actually came out in 2018.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Kelly Thompson. Between Captain Marvel, Mr. & Mrs. X, and finally getting around to reading her run on Kate Bishop: Hawkeye, she’s had a lot that I’ve enjoyed reading this year.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Diego Olortegui on X-23. Laura was always so grumpy! Gabby was always so happy! And everything else looked like a scientific nightmare of things I’d never want to draw.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Sana Takeda’s covers to Age of Conan: Belit.
MOST WANTED
A return to IDW’s previous Transformers universe. I understand that Hasbro wants to align their branding and make an easier jumping on point, but holy cow, is this new Transformers stuff a boring slog.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Marvel’s Conan stuff isn’t awful! They’re definitely overexposing the line, but what’s come out has been pretty good! That said, I’m dropping them all with the Serpent War event.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Paper Girls’ ending. I wasn’t sure how well the whole thing was going to come together, but I think BKV pulled it off REALLY well.
Ok I just want to clarify that each of my complaints about HOXPOX has its own particular nuance. This time what I’m saying is that the “accomplishments” of being bold and different and even putting attention back on the X-Men again are rather dubious. The mere act of the whole line being replaced by one series that changes the status quo into something unrecognizable accomplishes these things. Wwk5d (if that is your real name) really needs to learn to see the nuance in my pedantic comments.
… I sent my pics about five hours ago and they’re not showing up here… wondering if I should re-send or if they’re working their way through the system and I should cool my jets… hrm.
BEST NEW SERIES
Ascender
It’s got a new name, but really it’s Descender Volume 2.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Reaver from Image
I love fantasy. But most fantasy comics are pretty bad. Reaver however has been excellent. The first arc just wrapped up and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Honorable Mention- Something is Killing the Children
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Immortal Hulk
Honorable Mentions- Oblivion Song, Deadly Class
FAVOURITE WRITER
Jason Aaron
His Avengers has been bonkers fun, he’s wrapped up an excellent long run on Thor, and spearheaded the War of the Realms which was the rare really good mega crossover. Plus teaming up with Ewing on Valkyrie.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Russell Dauterman
His War of the Realms work was fantastic, and his cover work is killer. Get this man on another ongoing!
“I just want to clarify that each of my complaints about HOXPOX has its own particular nuance”
If by nuance, you mean “This sucks this sucks this suck I hate it this sucks”, then sure, Jan, each one was very nuanced…it’s almost Job-tastic.
“(if that is your real name)”
Whatever you say, ‘Dazzler”…
BEST NEW SERIES
Buffy by Bellaire, Mora, and Lopez
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Die #1 came out in Dec 2018, but I’m counting it anyway.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Runaways – Still loving this low-key, conversation-heavy take on the series.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell – I also loved Tamaki and Steve Pugh’s Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, but this one edged it out.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Kelly Thompson
FAVOURITE ARTIST
R.B. Silva
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Marte Gracia
MOST WANTED
I’d say Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, but Tamaki has a bunch more of these GNs coming up. I’ll say I want more of the Thompson Hawkeye/West Coast Avengers characters in general.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
War of the Realms
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The ending of Giant Days.
I might return and offer some more if I think of anything; for now, I’ll stick to what came to mind.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Sanity and Tallulah, vol 2: Field Trip by Molly Brooks.
I loved the first volume, and this one is similarly great. Sanity and Tallulah are two girls from a space station taking their first field trip planet side and things go very wrong. It’s not just a good all-ages book, but a good sci-fi adventure story period, with some great landscapes and comedic timing.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
I dipped into Rainbow Rowell’s Runaways a few weeks ago, and read all 20 or so issues up on Marvel Unlimited in one big binge. It’s the closest anyone’s come to re-establishing the magic of Vaughn’s original, while also doing their own thing.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
I’ll echo what someone said above Sonic the Hedgehog. Flynn has got an amazing amount of character work this year out of what seems like the most fluff premise ever–Sonic, the fastest thing alive, against zombie hordes. And yet it works, with his moments of doubt and rebounding feeling earned.
Incidentally, if the Homies are ever looking to expand, a Best All Ages Book would be great (it wouldn’t do me much good, because apparently all my picks this year are all ages. But still.).
There’s no need for rudeness.
BEST NEW SERIES
Criminal for me. I keep spending the rest of my day doing Whose-Line-style noir narration for the rest of my day after reading it. For annoying my work colleagues alone, the book is a triumph.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Runaways is like a cherished pipe, a warm pair of slippers, a faithful hound and a hot toddy all rolled into one highly comforting package.
FAVE WRITER
Al Ewing
FAVE ARTIST
Erm… Max Sarin
FAVE COLOURIST
Marte Gracia
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT or OGN
Giant Size X-Statix
MOST WANTED
James Roberts back on the duplicate Lost Light crew. This new Transformers is just awful.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Probably HoXPoX. It’s not perfect but at least it feels like the X-Men are relevant again. Really like the primary artist on New Mutants too.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Giant Days
I have to agree that Rainbow’s Runaway’s is REALLY REALLY good. I just couldn’t find a category to fit it in. 🙁
This thread makes me realize how woefully underread I am these days; I’m still catching up to comics from 2017. I see I need to check out Immortal Hulk though!
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: HoXPoX. I picked it up completely on a whim, totally ignorant about news of a relaunch and expecting it to be Just Another Relaunch. For better or for worse, and whatever becomes of its legacy, it re-energized how I feel about X-Men.
MOST WANTED: Another vote for IDW’s former Transformers continuity. It was the longest-running continuity and had a lot some downs but a lot of ups. It was producing some of the best stories ever for the franchise (granted, that isn’t always a high bar). A year later, I’m still sad that it’s gone.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES Captain America by Mark Gruenwald 1985-1995. Lets stop pretending the new comics are at all comparable to the older ones.
Gruenwald’s run on Cap was far better than any series on the self today. Or how about Claremont’s runs on X-Men or New Mutants; Chuck Dixon’s Robin,Birds of Prey,Detective and Nightwing series;John Byrne on Fantastic Four ;Walt Simonson on Thor;Paul Levitz on Legion of Super Heroes;Geoff Johns on Green Lantern,and so on. Each of those writer’s runs lasted nearly a 100 issues or more and for good reason.Today’s writers seldom last 20 issues-also for good reason. So I nominate Mark Gruenwalds Captain America for best continuing series even though it’s over 30 years old.I refuse to pretend any comic in 2019 deserves a ‘best-of’ nomination in any category.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE seeing 10 new House to Astonish podcasts in 2019. Well done. Huzzah!
I could do without anything by Chuck Dixon or Geoff Johns on GL. Otherwise, yeah, those are all definitive runs on those characters.
Give me Alan Grant on Detective Comics and Steve Engelhart on Green Lantern.
BEST NEW SERIES
Criminal. Seems a bit cheeky to call a comic first published in 2006 new but Brubaker and Phillips make this latest outing feel fresher than it has in years.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Outer Darkness. Who would’ve thought Dennis Wheatley writes Star Trek had this much mileage in it. Top of my stack every month. Salutations to John Layman and Afu Chan.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Once and Future is the most fun I’ve had reading a Kieron Gillen comic for a while. Dan Mora’s artwork is a revelation. A tonic compared to the overly dour Die
FAVOURITE WRITER
Ed Brubaker keeps finding new things to say about the Lawless family in Criminal. It’s all building up to a tragic ending in the next couple of issues. His newsletter is informative and funny too but the less said about his Amazon Prime series the better.
FAVOURITE ARTIST Waited all year for something new from Chris Samnee only to find he’s drawing an Iron Fist knock off written by Robert Kirkman. Goddammit I hope Bleeding Cool are trolling me.
MOST WANTED
What the hell happened to Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt’s excellent ongoing The Damned?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Alan Moore bowed out of comics this year with Cinema Purgatorio and LoEG Tempest. Neither could be said to be his best work but my god what a staggering career. All hail Glycon.
MOST WANTED: A plug for Al’s other podcast, the excellent Desert Island Discworld, on this site and in an episode. (I had to find out about it through Wait, What? !)
So, disregarding Die, my BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES is…
Reaver
I was interested enough by Ben’s vote to check it out – I too like fantasy, but consider most fantasy comics to be mediocre at best. Reaver offers a little less played-out world (while there’s plenty of novels dealing with colonial empires in fantasy settings, it’s still less played-out than the plethora of faux-medieval ‘Europe but spelled differently’ worlds), then uses it as a playground for a not groundbreaking, but very well executed trope of a band of prisoners forced to perform a mission behind enemy lines.
Taken apart, no individual element of Reaver is that original. But it’s all very entertainingly put together. And honestly, I don’t know when was the last time I was that entertained by a fantasy comic full of swords and blood magic. I don’t know if I ever was.
[…] You can get our swish merch over at our Redbubble store, you can check out the SILENCE! podcast over here, and don’t forget, you can vote for your favourite comics and creators for our annual year-end Homies awards over here! […]
BEST NEW SERIES
Hellblazer is back baby!
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
After the underwhelming By Night, John Allison’s Steeple perfectly fills the Giant Days sized hole in my life. Ridiculously British for an American comic, with affectionate characters and funny dialog. Lovely.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
The Immortal Hulk by Al Ewin continues to be full of ideas and generally makes other superhero comics seem formulaic.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Eve Stranger by David Barnett & Philip Bond is a delightful comic. So sad to see Black Crown come to an end but this is a fine send off.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Si Spurrier has had a great year writing comics which aren’t afraid to be verbose. His run on The Dreaming has been excellent and the Hellblazer reboot is full of clever ideas. I’ve really missed comics that take more than 5 minutes to read.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
The work of Bilquis Evely on The Dreaming has been so good that with every issue I find myself slightly annoyed that its not published on magazine sized paper to better appreciate its beauty.
MOST WANTED
My favourite comic of 2018 was The Highest House by Mike Carey and Paul Gross. It an intelligent fantasy story with a wonderful premise and interesting themes. I desperately hoping for a second volume…the trade is still available on Amazon for anyone who missed it the first time around.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
I don’t know how Jason Lutes has managed to keep focused on the story of Berlin for so long without just getting bored and giving up. But the final book is wonderful.
BEST NEW SERIES
Valkyrie Jane Foster. A great Al Ewing X Jason Aaron team up book.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Fairlady. It’s Magnum P.I. in a post war of the ring fantasy setting! WITH A LADY!
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Criminal. This is my first foray into the Criminal series. Needless to say, I’m hooked.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Coda. Spurrier and Bergara killed it on this book.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Mark Russel. I’ve been on board the hype train since Prez (wow, that was 2015!). Now I’m getting Mark Russel comics on a nearly weekly schedule: Wonder Twins, Red Sonja, Lone Ranger, Second Coming, et al. have all been amazing comics.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Matias Bergara. I didn’t appreciate him enough on the first few issues of Coda, now I can’t live without his art.
THE MATTHEW WILSON AWARD FOR BEST COLOURIST
Mat Lopes (The Dreaming).
MOST WANTED
Ms. Marvel, Coda, Paper Girls, Thor, Giant Days, Wicked + The Divine and Curse Words all ended this year after stellar runs. I’m really looking forward to what the creative teams behind those books will come out with in the near future.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
The X-Men relaunch. I got my most wanted wish from last year’s homies! X-Men comics are… good again? Well… some of them are? At least…two of them are…kind of OK? (Paul, please, you don’t have to recap every single one of the Dawn of X books, the release schedule is pure madness, and some of those comics are arguably terrible. Blink twice if the X-Books are holding you hostage, we can send help).
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Giant Days. Very little for me to add to the discourse at this point. It simply is one the best comics I’ve ever read.
Forgot to mention the great exercise in meta that was friend of the pod Kieron Gillen’s Thunderbolt. I had been working on an article on it in the summer but a death in the family curtailed it and I havent gone back to it yet.
BEST NEW SERIES
GI Joe by Paul Allor, Chris Evenhuis, and Britany Peer. I’m not a demanding reader. All I ask of a franchise reboot is excellent character work, animation-ready artwork that lulls you into a false sense of security, imaginative use of the panel format, a skillful balance between advancing the property while keeping the core themes intact, bountiful Easter eggs, unexpected humor, and a willingness to put a bullet in the head of my childhood nostalgia. So easy to please, me, yet I’m still so wonderfully happy when a book manages to meet these simple expectations.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Sonata by David Hine, Brian Haberlin and Gierrod Van Dyke. I’ve been wanting more sci-fi from Hine since Storm Dogs, and this scratches the exploration itch very nicely. The rendered backgrounds aren’t my favorite thing, but the world-building makes up for it so far.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
This was a rough one for me, just because I’ve had a damn good time with comics this year. Like a lot of other Homie voters, I do believe Al Ewing is doing absolutely fantastic work on Immortal Hulk. But then there’s also Kieren Gillen’s Die, which has been dissecting my formative years with painful brilliance. Heathen, which just blatantly panders to every one of my interests, and ping-pongs between brightening my day and breaking my heart from issue to issue. Manifest Destiny came off hiatus and was back to wonderfully gruesome form from the start. TMNT pulled off a 100th issue guest-star extravaganza that ended on an unexpectedly affecting note. And Monstress and Lazarus continue to be quality from cover to cover.
In the end, though, I’m going with Die. If I absolutely had to trade-wait for the other books, I could, but there’s an urgency to keep up with political and emotional clusterfuck of Sol & Co. that keeps me coming back. I don’t know which of these characters will actually survive the accumulating weight of their past regrets, but I’m intending to be there for every step of the journey.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Lots of competition for this one too. Lois Lane, Wonder Twins, strong late entry from The Old Guard: Force Multiplied, and, of course, House of X/Powers of X. But I’m going with The White Trees from Chip Zdarsky, Kris Anka, and Matt Wilson. The art was as gorgeous as one might expect from Anka and Wilson, and the conclusion of the story was refreshing both in the acknowledgment that love alone doesn’t atone for yesterday’s missteps, and that the old queer battle couple actually made it to the end of the book.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Kieron Gillen takes it for me. Between Die, Once and Future, and finishing up the Wicked + Divine trades, I’m giving this man a ridiculous amount of money this year.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Pepe Larraz. House of X was an absolute knock-out.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Matt Wilson. Not even close.
MOST WANTED
Animosity: Evolution appears to have been quietly canceled as of the second trade, which disappoints me more than a little. I’m still reading the main series out of habit, but I’m finding the escort quest drags more than a little at this point. But I was genuinely intrigued by A:E, by the questions of ethics and practicality poised when how you try to build up a society in a world of self-aware animals whose dietary needs include feasting on other self-aware animals. I’ll miss this book and would have loved it to continue.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
HoX/PoX. I wasn’t keen on Hickman coming onto the X-Books, because I prefer character-based stories, and I find him to be a writer far more interested in ideas. But this… this was a hell of a good idea, and I’m on board to see where it all goes.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Marvel actually managing to get readers interested the X-Men again after a decade of neglect.
BEST NEW SERIES – Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen – Fraction and Leiber are firing on all cylinders with their loving send-up/pastiche of DC’s silver age featuring James Bartholomew Jimberly “Jimmy” Olsen. (Runner up : Marauders)
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES – Invisible Kingdom – Wilson and Ward are crafting the coolest outer space comic since Saga.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES – The Immortal Hulk – Although #25 was a letdown, Ewing is still in fine form as he retrains Banner et al on their new foe, Roxxon. I never thought I’d like Bennett’s art so much, but his issues are usually the best of the run.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN – The Dark Knight Returns : the Golden Child – This was tough, but I’m giving it to Miller and Grampá’s DKR one-shot because of Grampá’s incredible artwork which manages to incorporate the best elements of Miller’s art while remaining stylistically original. And I recently re-read the original DKR, so I was primed for the bombastic storytelling. (Runners up : Peter Cannon : Thunderbolt, X-Men : Grand Design – X-tinction, Assassin Nation, LoEG : The Tempest)
FAVOURITE WRITER – Kieron Gillen – I’m pick up anything he puts out, and inevitably loving it. It was a banner year for him with WicDIv ending, Die getting going, Peter Cannon surprising everyone, and Once & Future launching. If only Uber had started back up…
FAVOURITE ARTIST – Jim Rugg – One of my all-time favourites, this year saw Plain Janes completed and offered in a nice new volume, and his Image Street Angel books collected. This guy cares about every detail and every step of producing a book, which you can see in evidence on the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel he co-hosts with Ed Piskor. A true Artist.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST – Nathan Fairbairn – I love his colours on Jimmy Olsen, which compliment Leiber’s art style so well, and one Die! Die! Die! earlier this year.
MOST WANTED – I want to see more of Ed Piskor working for the Big 2. It’s not a realistic wish, but what he did on X-Men : Grand Design was so unexpected and so phenomenal that I’d love to see him take on another franchise.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE – Bendis’ DC Universe work. I’m not like most here, in that Bendis is one of my favourite writers, but even I was trepidatious about Bendis moving to DC. After a year of, yes, Superman, but mostly creator-owned books, his second year was…. well, a pleasant surprise. His work on the Superman books, Event Leviathan, Young Justice, Legion of Super Heroes — even the Batman WalMart reprints — was all fresh and exciting.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT – Johnathan Hickman and the X-Office with the X-Men relaunch. I see that a lot of commenters are putting this in the Most Pleasant Surprise category, but I knew that HoX and PoX were going to be super interesting books. What I wasn’t sure about was how everything would sort out later. I only pre-ordered X-Men and New Mutants, expecting that the X-Office was going the usual route of putting out too many books with too much filler. But I gave the first issues a chance and, like many people, ended up adding them all to my pull file. Kudos.
BEST NEW SERIES
Copra: the Image relaunch basically continues the story as is, which is to say – the perfect action series that does right what 99% of superhero stories do wrong.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Steeple: it’s good. I like it.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Giant Days: the best comedy /slice-of-life / Bildungsroman story (not just comics) of this decade sticks the landing. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wish it would never end but be happy for how they say goodbye.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
When I Arrived at the Castle: Carroll’s graphic novel is a perfect mix of horror and erotica which manages to be as haunting as it is beautiful.
FAVOURITE WRITER
John Wagner: some powerful Judge Dredd work this year; giving the strip a rotating crew of writers sure helped him rest between stories and only put his best foot forward.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Max Sarin: started good, evolved into great, ended up on a perfect note. I’ll read whatever Sarin draws for probably the rest of my life.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Dave Stewart: because he’s Dave Stewart.
MOST WANTED
More Gou Tanabe H.P. Lovecraft adaptations (and Tanabe in general) please.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
The “Jason Lint” section in RUSTY BROWN – heads and shoulders above the rest as Chris Ware actually tries to add some visual excitement to all these tiny panels.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The Judge Dredd team 2019 – all thriller no filler.