The Homies 2018
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 2018 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 West Coast Avengers or Martian Manhunter wouldn’t be eligible, but (for example) Fearscape or Die would.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
The counterpart to the categories above, which covers books whose first issue was published in 2017 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 2018 (or partially in 2018, 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?
STIFF DRINK AWARD
This award will go to the comic or graphic novel that most made us gasp with surprise – an unexpected plot twist, a daring cliffhanger or a shocking denouement will stand a book in good stead here.
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!
Apologies for the Transformers bias in all this.
Best New Series
I’ve never been a Green Lantern fan, and its probably too soon to tell after two issues but I’ve enjoyed it thus far!
Best Continuing Series
Lost Light. I know you guys have gushed about this before (it was your Homies where you mentioned MTMTE about 4 years ago that rekindled my TF fandom) but this book was the absolute business.
Best mini/one-shot
The artwork in Quicksilver: No Surrender really floated my boat this year, so it probably edges out Nick Roche’s Requiem of the Wreckers.
Favourite writer
James Roberts. His indie music credentials help him dominate this field.
Favourite artist
I love Kei Zama’s faux-G2-meets-Nick-Roche work on Optimus Prime. I do understand it’s possibly not everyone’s cup of tea though.
Fave colorist
Joanna Lafuente. Duh.
Most pleasant surprise
The Havok arc on Astonishing X-Men was far better than it had any right to be, especially given the artist. Shame the book got scuppered, as I quite liked the cast.
Stiff drink award
Megatron returns to ‘our’ universe ahead of a battle fleet in Lost Light
Outstanding Achievement
The end of the IDW Transformers Universe. Far, far better than it had any right to be with some absolutely top tier talent involved.
Best Mini
She Could Fly from Berger Books really should win everything.
It’s about dying and wanting to die, and finding the things that make you not want to die, as far as I can make out. The concept is a must read: a teen girl who obsessed with a mysterious flying woman has to deal with the flying woman exploding in mid air on live TV. It’s by Christopher Cantwell, showrunner for AMC’s Halt and Catch fire, which grabbed my attention. The storytelling and raw emotion in this is beautiful. I can’t believe it isn’t talked about more. It’s 4 issues (with 4 more to come in 2019)
Best Continuing series
Giant Days. Fight me.
Best Actually New Series
Euthanauts by Tini Howard and Nick Robles
Another book that is about death, which maybe should worry me. It’s premise is “Go toward the light. Then go beyond.” and it examines the idea of death as the next stage of life, not as something to be feared. It’s a beautiful book, both in terms of art and story.
Stiff Drink Award
Carol Danvers’ mum is a Kree warrior and Carol is part Kree. The Life of Captain Marvel should be filed under “So bad it’s genuinely terrible”, especially for what is meant to be a continuity clean up for the re-re-re-re-relaunch of Captain Marvel. The only bright spot is the phoenetic Bawstahn accents.
Most Pleasant Surprise
I read Eternity Girl because I love Sonny Liew. #1 seemed incomprehensible. #2 was confusing. Then, halfway through, it all clicked. There is some excellent design work and messing with page layouts in this book.
P.S. The Stiff Drink award is shared between the Life of Captain Marvel and Jeff Lemire’s Sentry mini. Ugly art, a stupid premise and an unsatisfying conclusion made me regret reading 5 issues of this toot. It also had the worst designed recap page that I’ve ever seen.
Best (Actually) New Series:
The Highest House
Mike Carey and Peter Gross, what more do you want ?
Most Pleasant Surprise:
Secret Agent Deadpool
Marvel Digital Originals
“The only bright spot is the phoenetic Bawstahn accents.”
Newrulesnewlife — Speaking as someone born in Beantown, you misspelled “Bahstin,” by spelling it like a phonetic New Yorker.
But it’s no problem. It’s a very (unfortunately) common mistake. 🙂
Best New Series
West Coast Avengers
Kelly Thompson, Stefano Caselli, Tríona Farrel
Superhero action that is funny. Actually funny, most attempts at this just bore me (e.g. Squirrel Girl).
Best Continuing Series and Writer
The Wicked + The Divine, Kieron Gillen
Who doesn’t love Kieron murder his characters to the left and right? This has been a ride and it’s almost over and I’m really looking forward to see it all tied up. Jamie McKelvie’s art is also great and they often tell the story in interesting ways without it going off the rails.
Also like Gillen’s Uber (more murder!) and Die looks promising, but it’s hard to really say with a single issue out.
Best Mini, Artist, and Colourist
Days of Hate, Danijel Zezelj, Jordie Bellaire
Love this series, mostly for the art which is really lovely and fitting for the story. The story is good too, domestic resistance/terrorist in an America that is close enough to reality to be unsettling. It’s written by Ales Kot and there hasn’t been any fungus yet but there is two issues to go so who knows!
I always feel vaguely embarrassed when making these lists, as they tend to drive home just how little new stuff I’ve read in the past year. Nevertheless:
Best New Series:
I’ve only read the first volume, but Ewing and Bennett’s Immortal Hulk is pretty great.
Best (Actually) New Series:
I’m going to go with Highest House too. I love the way Carey is exploring so many different variations of what it means to exist in relationships with people who have power over you. And Gross’ art was frequently excellent in Unwritten, but it feels like he’s really upped his game.
Best Continuing Series:
Weirdly difficult, since all of my favorite continuing series either ended this year or got rebooted with new teams. I think it might be slated to end with issue 12, but I really enjoy Sarah Vaughn and Leila Del Duca’s Sleepless. It hits the mark of feeling like a classic fantasy story while still being something new. (I guess between this and Highest House I’ve been drawn to comic book fantasy stories this year.)
Best One Shot/OGN (also most pleasant surprise):You Are Deadpool by Al Ewing and Salva Espin. A miniseries pitched for fans of both Deadpool and gamebooks is already shooting for the most niche of niche audiences. But this series is actually an incredibly well-designed gamebook and a really good Deadpool story to boot. Each issue is its own paced story, as well as part of a larger whole, there’s a combat system, inventory management, and minigames, and it’s pretty damn funny too. It’s brilliantly designed, but will almost certainly be overlooked as Another Deadpool Side Project. And it deserves more. (Try to read it in physical form if you can, because it’s kind of a pain to deal with digitally.)
Favourite Writer
They’re not all hits, but I think having someone who writes like Tom King on high profile books is a net win for the comics industry. So, Tom King.
Favourite Artist AND Colourist: Sana Takeda
Most Wanted: Does cancelled before its release count? Then Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk’s Vision.
I can’t think of anything for the last two categories. I might circle back if I come up with something.
Most wanted: Saga, especially in light of the rumor it’s going on hiatus.
I don’t read enough comics anymore to nominate any “bests.”
Best new … huh. My comics reading has really atrophied lately. Damn.
Best New Series:
A second for Immortal Hulk. It’s quite a surprise, and one of a very few comics that I buy that I actually look forward to reading as opposed to reading out of habit hoping one day it’ll get better.
Best New Series – immortal hulk
Best Continuing Series – Black Hammer. Easily to discuss as a JLA pastiche, but a lot more.
Best OGN … – is the guy for real? Box Brown’s retelling of Andy Kaufman’s firay into wrestling.
Most Wanted – DC to finally publish the Monster Society of Evil collection. Ir at least stop soliciting it and then cancelling it before it comes out.
Outstanding Achievement – Scooby Doo team up. A wonderfully fun romp through DC and HB continuity, always a fun read every month, whether its all gorillas, or dick dastardly or the Doom patrol.
More in a later post.
Best New Series – Immortal Hulk
What can I say that has not been said before? A old, overused and overdone, concept suddenly feels fresh again. A version of the character that manages the trick of being the Hulk we already know, ol’ jade jaws, and yet something new and spooky. Also – almost a year in and Marvel have yet to burden this book with unnecessary tie-ins.
Best ACTUALLY New Series – Farmhand
We know that Rob Guillory can draw; turns out he can write just as well.
Best Continuing Series – Giant Days
4 years and more than forty issues in I’m getting mad at Giant Days. There should’ve been a bad issue by now, some dip in quality that allows us to think John Alison and crew are not some sort of comics-wizards. Yet the series refuses to have a bad issue, a bad page or even a bad panel.
The first in the stack whenever it comes out and the first in our hearts.
Best writer – John Roberts.
A grown man is not meant to feel such things when reading a series about robots that turn into cars. Yet we do.
Best Artist – Tom Scioli
Between his Kirby webcomics and the scent issues of Go-Bots we got this year Scioli has shed the skin of a full Kirby acolyte and has grown to encapsulate a larger range of influence. His pages are simply a delight to behold.
Best Colorist – Sloane Leong
The art in “Prism Stalker” is pretty great overall, but in her use of colors to set mood Leong triumphs over all-comers; this is a book that you can follow simply be looking at how the colors shift and shimmer across various scenes.
Best Graphic Novel – The Pervert.
A hard read, but a worthy one. Life and love and loss and all the things that make a person human.
Best Miniseries – Koshchei the Deathless
Two immortals sit in a pub, one we know; the other we will learn to know. Mignola (and artist Ben Stenbeck) return to what made me love Hellboy – the more mythic-oriented storytelling, the mood of a legend.
Most Pleasant Surprise – Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive
I expected it to be good; I just didn’t expect it to be THAT good; whatta thrill-ride of a comics.
Stiff Drink Award – Judge Dredd: The Small House
It’s hard to decide what to pick as the biggest “HOLY @#@$%$” moment from this serial, the summation of plots Williams has been doing for over five years now (and also of plots that started when he was probably still in kindergarten), but my personal choice is just a sentence: “I no longer recognize your authority.”
They’ve walked it back, a little, by the end of the story – but at the time it looks like Dredd was declaring a full-blown war not only on the Justice System but also on a beloved supporting character that has been at his back for three decades.
Most Wanted – Carlos Ezquerra collections
Now that he is no longer with us (can’t believe it, even now it just feels wrong) I think we need to see all the older material back in print – full collections of “Rat Pack” and “Major Eazy” of course, but also stuff like “Bob, the Galactic Bum” from DC. Bring it all back.
Outstanding achievement – Peow Press
For releasing books that are unlike any other publisher out there, and for making them look good.
Best New and Actually New Series
Highest House. Maybe the best thing either creator has ever done, and I don’t say that lightly. The large format is itself part of the story.
Best Continuing Series
Deathstroke. The return of Priest to comics is so welcome.
Best Mini: Plastic Man.
Favourite Writer: Kelly Thompson
Favourite Artist: Mitch Gerads
Favourite Colourist: Paul Mounts
Most Wanted: Saga, Lazarus, Copperhead…all those Image books that come out for a while and then have to take a long break, or worse, peter out in the middle of the story. I regret that some of the most interesting work in comics is always seemingly the most precarious.
Most Pleasant Suprise: the new batch of non-Sandman Vertigo books have been surprisingly good. Not exactly a return to form, but possibly a new and different era, if they last. Also, Runaways, both the fact that it’s as good as the original run and the fact that it’s lasted this many issues.
Stiff Drink: The. Last. Page. Of. Every. Issue. Of. Saga. I know they’re going to do it and it still gets me every time.
Outstanding Achievement: G. Willow Wilson. This is her valedictory year writing Ms. Marvel, it seems, and what she’s achieved is worth celebrating. Not just successfully launching a (mostly) new character…I think she’s more successfully written a teen superhero for the present day than anyone.
Best New Series: West Coast Avengers
Best Actually New Series: X-Men Grand Design
Best Continuing Series: The Unbelievable Gwenpool (RIP)
Best Mini: Mister Miracle
Best Writer: Kelly Thompson
Best Artist: Russell Dauterman
Most Wanted: An actually successful X-Men reboot
Pleasant Surprise: X-Men Red
Stiff Drink: Mister Miracle (just, like, almost all of it)
Outstanding Achievement: X-Men: Grand Design
Best new series—Justice League Dark.
Best actually new series—I thought American Carnage got off to a storming start. So did These Savage Seas.
Best Mini—Man of Steel.
Best continuing series—Batman.
Best writer—Tom Taylor
Best Artist—Liam Sharp
Most wanted—Legion of Superheroes.
Stiff Drink—“death” of Wally West (still don’t think it’ll stick)
Outstanding Achievement—Bendis’ rejuvenation at Jinxworld.
BEST NEW SERIES: Immortal Hulk – I have never, in 35 years of collecting comic books, cared one bit about the Hulk. But the creepy tone, the beautiful (and disturbing) art, the fact that Sasquatch has an actual storyline for the first time in decades…this book pushes all of my buttons.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES: Paper Girls – Everyone goes on about Saga — and more power to them — but my favorite BKV book by far is Paper Girls. While (I think) Saga has sagged, Paper Girls hasn’t let up for 25 issues. I’m still interested in the plot, the characters, the mystery — quite an achievement.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN: New Mutants: Dead Souls – I did not expect to like this mini at all, but Matthew Rosenberg kept looping in characters from the original team lineup, so I was hooked. Can’t wait to find out what happens next.
FAVOURITE WRITER: Al Ewing – did I mention that I don’t like the Hulk as a character *at all*?
FAVOURITE ARTIST: Mitch Gerads for Mister Miracle. Best use of the 9-panel grid since…Legion of Super-heroes?
FAVOURITE COLOURIST: Mitch Gerads for Mister Miracle again.
MOST WANTED: Not exactly what you’re asking for, but the Legion of Super-heroes has been teased in Doomsday Clock and *when are they going to finally announce the new LSH book?*
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: The Wild Storm – not completely new this year, but new to me. I thought it would just be Warren Ellis droning on about his favorite themes, but I always give his new series a chance to prove me wrong. So…it is Warren Ellis reprising his favorite themes, but he’s also integrated the Wildstorm universe in a really compelling way. It feels expansive and full of potential. I can’t believe I look forward to new issues of this.
STIFF DRINK AWARD: When Hulk absorbed that guy. OMG!…and ew.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Mister Miracle when Tom King stuck the landing. I was sure he had written himself into a corner, but he pulled out the ending in an unexpected way that had real world resonance. It just blew me away.
“I was sure he had written himself into a corner, but he pulled out the ending in an unexpected way that had real world resonance.”
Just what a mister miracle story should do. 🙂
BEST NEW SERIES
Immortal Hulk. I think Marvel has finally learned what a force Al Ewing can be when you free him from crossovers and pair him with an artist who’s firing on all cylinders.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
If Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles counts, then that. If not, nothing comes to mind, which feels sad.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Saga. Still makes me feel more feelings than anything else.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles. Starting with a ludicrous concept and then filling it with heart and humanity frequently results in exceptional comics.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Probably still BKV based on the ongoing strength of Saga, but damned if Al Ewing isn’t closing in fast.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Chris Samnee. Because he’s better at drawing than all other humans.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Muntsa Vicente. I just think her pages look better than anybody else’s pages.
MOST WANTED
I’m incredibly curious about what Chris Samnee’s next project will be. It’s been a while since his Captain America run ended, and he’s been doing some lovely commission pieces, but I’m ready for more comics from that guy. Whatever it is, I’ll buy it. Very few creators I’d say that about.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Into the Spider-Verse was better than it had any right to be. I’m thankful to Brian Bendis for creating Miles Morales, and I’m thankful to these filmmakers for showing what an effective character he is when he’s not being written by Brian Bendis.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #31 was the best single issue I read this year. I didn’t know what to do after I finished it. Outstanding. If you haven’t read it, seek it out. Well done to Erica Henderson for making her last issue the best issue.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Black Panther being the biggest movie of the year feels wildly significant. Ten years ago, could any of us have dreamt that?
Best New Series: Immortal Hulk
Best Actually New Series: My pick just got cancelled because the creator turned out to be an awful human being, so I’m going with By Night, which is a book my wife has been picking up and enjoys greatly.
Best Continuing Series: We as a species do not deserve Giant Days.
Best Mini: Infidel. Nobody talks about the brilliant and clearly very personal dissection of racism and religious bigotry wrapped in a cracking good haunted house story that this comic, and it bums me the hell out. This should have been Image’s Next Big Thing.
Fav Writer: Al Ewing is single-handedly propping up the Marvel Universe.
Fav Artist: David Baldeon’s work on Domino just makes me deliriously happy. I dont know why, but his pages just being me unbridled joy.
Fav Colorist: Matt Wilson is pretty much the peak of the form at this point, right?
Most Wanted: Infidel was clearly supposed to be an ongoing that got truncated to mini, and that’s a bummer, but my REAL answer is “Whatever James Roberts has up his sleeve next.”
Most Pleasant Surprise: The Dreaming is actually a good book.
Stiff Drink award: SO MANY great single moments this year: Selena finding her dress in Batman 44, Rung discovering he’s Primus in the waning issues of Lost Light, the two consecutive double-page spreads that rack focus in on the Hulk in Immortal Hulk 1. But the real answer has to be “Mister Miracle stabbing Darkseid to death in front of his wife and kid” from Mister Miracle 11.
Outstanding Acheivement: Transformers Lost Light 25. The whole series qualifies, of course, but I dont know if I’ve seen a more perfect final issue to an epic.
BEST NEW SERIES
Catwoman (DC Comics) by Joelle Jones
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Astra Lost in Space
(Viz manga) by Kenta Shinohara
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Transformers Lost Light (IDW) James Roberts
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Valiant High
(Valiant) by Daniel Kibblesmith,Derek Charm
FAVOURITE WRITER
James Roberts (Transformers Lost Light)
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Raul Allen (Secret Weapons,Livewire,Wonder Woman) Great artist -see Valiants TPB: ‘Wrath of the Eternal Warrior Vol. 2’ for a great example why.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Laura Allred (Catwoman)
MOST WANTED
THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES! It’s been 5 1/2 years since The Legion was cancelled- in the meantime,DC has published 2 Martian Manhunter series,4 Harley Quinn series,and 4 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe mini series… Someone has their priorities out of whack over at DC.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Robotech (Titan Comics)
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Finding out that IDW’s ‘re-boot’ of Transformers will be nothing but a prequel. A prequel is NOT a re-boot.
YOU ARE BEING DECEIVED!!!!
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Transformers Lost Light (RIP)
BEST NEW SERIES ~ My Little Pony: Nightmare Knights IDW
BEST CONTINUING SERIES ~ Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi, Viz
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN ~ Pokemon Horizon Viz
FAVOURITE WRITER ~ Mizuho Kusanagi
FAVOURITE ARTIST ~ Mizuho Kusanagi
FAVOURITE COLOURIST ~ REAL comics don’t need color!
MOST WANTED ~ A Devil May Cry comic! Start working on it Capcom!
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE ~ The finale of Lost Light (tears)
STIFF DRINK AWARD ~ The finale of Lost Light (again)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT ~ Lost Light…we will remember you fondly Swerve. (more tears…)
BEST NEW SERIES \ BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Reading in trades make’s these catagories tough. I don’t know that I read a “volume 1” this year. I’m looking forward to Mister Miracle and Gideon Falls, but have yet to read! I guess those are both probably 2017 books, techincially!
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Saga
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies
FAVOURITE WRITER
Noah Van Sciver — Prodigious output! Two great graphic novels in one year! “One Dirty Tree” and “Fante Bukowski Three: A Perfect Failure” are both Top 5 OGN’s for the year. And a new issue of the always great Blammo!
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Edwardo Risso – His work on Moonshine feels like career best to me. It’s cool to see a long standing creator up their game. Gone are the layout\readabilty problems that showed up from time to time in his earlier work.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Matt Wilson
MOST WANTED
Samnee back in the game. Captain America 700 feels like a LONG time ago.I’d love to see Chris on Batman with Tom King or one of the Bendis Superman books!
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Bloodstrike by Michel Fiffe’s “guest” ads. I love Fiffe’s work so it’s no surpise this was great. The “guest” advertisements by other indie creators, in the style of early image books, really put it over the edge for me.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Saga vol 9
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Mind Mgmt Read Along One-Shot and Record. Matt Kindt is a genius. This was such an unusual and exciting reading experience. The physical books is pure nostolgia. Love it!
On Mon, Dec 17, 2018 at 2:34 PM Jason Robey wrote:
BEST NEW SERIES \ BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Reading in trades make’s these catagories tough. I don’t know that I read a “volume 1” this year. I’m looking forward to Mister Miracle and Gideon Falls, but have yet to read! I guess those are both probably 2017 books, techincially!
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Saga
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies
FAVOURITE WRITER
Noah Van Sciver — Prodigious output! Two great graphic novels in one year! “One Dirty Tree” and “Fante Bukowski Three: A Perfect Failure” are both Top 5 OGN’s for the year.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Edwardo Risso – His work on Moonshine feels like career best to me. It’s cool to see a long standing creator up their game. Gone are the layout\readabilty problems that showed up from time to time in his earlier work.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Matt Wilson
MOST WANTED
Samnee back in the game. Captain America 700 feels like a LONG time ago.I’d love to see Chris on Batman with Tom King or one of the Bendis Superman books!
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Bloodstrike by Michel Fiffe. I love Fiffe’s work so it’s no surpise this was great. The “guest” advertisements, in the style of early image books, really put it over the edge for me.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Saga vol 9
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Mind Mgmt Read Along One-Shot and Record. Matt Kindt is a genius. This was such an unusual and exciting reading experience. The physical books is pure nostolgia. Love it!
BEST NEW SERIES
Maybe Domino? That’s a book I picked up just to check out, and it’s one that I keep being excited to read. Strangely.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Lost Light…which isn’t actually continuing. Sadface.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
My Boyfriend Is a Bear.
MOST WANTED
The end of Crossover Events. Just let a book be itself for a while.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Uncanny X-Men. After over a decade of stories where the X-Men are “endangered” and there are “no more mutants,” Marvel has finally cut the crap and gone back to what makes the X-Men work: Stories about persecution where everybody thinks that their way is the right way, and probably everybody is wrong.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Bit of a cheat answer, but “Aquaman” being a better movie than “Venom.” How did that happen?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
IDW wrapping up their THIRTEEN-YEAR Transformers run. The IDW Transformers series has outlasted Transformers Animated, Transformers Prime, Transformers Robots in Disguise (2015), and ALL FIVE Michael Bay movies. It’s the longest-running, most in-depth version of Transformers in the franchise’s 34-year history, and absolutely deserves to be recognized as such.
Best New Series: Uncanny X-Men, if only for dumping the go-nowhere O5 and getting back to (relative) basics. It feels like an X-Men book like I used to enjoy.
Best Actually New Series: Mr and Mrs. X. Great concept, great execution, and a writer who both cares about the characters and has something to say about their relationship. Such a shame about the book’s title.
Best Continuing Series: Giant Days. Again. I won’t stop saying this until everyone reads it.
Best Mini/One-Shot/OGN: Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1 (Zdarsky). Fantastic JJJ done-in-one with Zdarsky writing and Allred art. Zdarsky’s Spider-Man has been consistently brilliant.
Favourite Writer: James Roberts. Can’t wait to see what he does next.
Favourite Artist: Lissa Tremain. Because so much of what’s good about Giant Days is the art.
Favourite Colorist: Matt Wilson
Most Wanted: Generation X. It was just getting good and I’d have loved to see the original team back in the spotlight.
Most Pleasant Surprise: Archie #700. Nick Spencer somehow nailed the tone of the Riverdale TV show and gave it a great twist ending, and while past form makes me suspicious that it’ll keep its momentum, I loved this issue.
Stiff Drink Award: Basically every issue of Giant Days, but specifically the issue with Nina’s alcohol problems (ironically). Special mention for Megatron’s failed attempt to open the Matrix.
Outstanding Achievement: Kelly Thompson, for writing about 8 Marvel series concurrently and having them ALL be great
BEST NEW SERIES
West Coast Avengers
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Ugh, I have too many collections of this year’s stuff still on my shelves.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Runaways
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles
FAVOURITE WRITER
Al Ewing. Loved You Are Deadpool and Immortal Hulk
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Kris Anka
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Matt Wilson
MOST WANTED
A return for Lazarus. It was just announced, but it’s quarterly now, so it’ll probably be 2020 at least for the next collection. Hopefully Black Magick is back soon too.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Into the Spider-Verse
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Most issues of Immortal Hulk, but I’ll say #1.
BEST NEW SERIES
I’m going to say West Coast Avengers because I did not read much that was new this year (but this was delightful).
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
She Could Fly – it was odd, it was disturbing, and it was a breath of fresh air.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Lost Light (Giant Days being very polite and stepping back as that series still has a chance for the Homie next year).
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
All my Heroes Are Junkies, by Brubaker and Philips.
FAVOURITE WRITER
James Roberts for somehow managing in the completion of Lost Light to pull everything together, stick the landing, and leave me still thinking about it several months later. (And then Voltron went and beat with with the bittersweet stick further).
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Max Sarin for Giant Days – THOSE EXPRESSIONS.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Heather Moore for The New World because the colors are what made that book sing.
MOST WANTED
Is it too early to want Lost Light back? Or just whatever James Roberts et al. move onto next, but now?
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Gambit & Rogue – what could have been an exercise in nostalgia brand awareness was in fact a sweet series that reminded us of what works without hiding the problems (and in fact using them to dig deeper)
STIFF DRINK AWARD
That final damn issue of Saga., paying off what was stated allllll the way back in the very first issue. Runner-up is Rodimus emerging from the fire because daaaaaamn… and then there was Zdarsky’s final issue of Spider-man… sniff…
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Lost Light – as an opus, as a piece of fiction, and as something that restored joy to something leeched of wonder by so many bad movies…
A list drawn more heavily from the ranks of people I’ve tried to chat up down the pub than most, but…
BEST NEW SERIES
Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp – The Green Lantern.
After the warm up of the last few Klaus Xmas specials and the mysterious interpretation of WILDcats #2 that arrived on the internet this summer, it’s been a thrill to have an ongoing Grant Morrison comic that I’m fully engaged with, from Hal Jordan’s cosmic Columbo act to the great creature and character work and – for the first two issues at least – the break from the routines of Morrison’s last few big DC projects.
I was initially worried that DC house colouring would rob Liam Sharp’s art of the gnarly goodness of the black and white preview images, but so far Steve Duff’s colours have been sympathetic to Sharp’s line and have actually added a couple of flavours to these pages.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Paul Jon Milne – Grave Horticulture. The best new combo of idiosyncratic, form stretching art comix aesthetics and superhorror thrills available in 2018.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Sarah Horrocks – Goro. The best combo of idiosyncratic, form stretching art comix aesthetics and soap opera murder thrills available since whatever year this started coming out.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Kathryn Briggs – Magpie. “Emotional formalism” as the introduction by Dan White says, but more than that, more even than a showcase of the startling range of fresh talent, this book folds down a deceptively huge amount of worldly experience into a form you can carry around with you.
Look out for the complete edition of Briggs’ Triskelion next year because that’s somehow even stronger than this.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Al Ewing, because no one else in mainstream comics 2018 is as reliable a guarantee that my time won’t be wasted.
I’d still rather see him let loose on some DC titles, mind…
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Jules Scheele, whose work on American Politics: A Graphic History and the Mapping Your Sexuality zine on Sexual Configuration Theory (https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/sex/new-zine-mapping-your-sexuality/) gave dramatic form to complicated concepts, and further displayed their ability to express their own personal style through collaboration.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Katriona Chapman.
Despite stiff competition from another Avery Hill book – B Mure’s Terrible Means, which was downright haunting in its use of autumnal colours – Chapman’s Follow Me In was my high mark for colouring in 2018.
A travelogue of Chapman’s experiences in Mexico, Follow Me In made good use of its rich colour palette to convey both repetition and shifts in the landscape, and contributed to the book’s effective use of its own size to suggest a totality of experience that was beyond what Chapman has previously been able to achieve in her Katzine travelogues.
MOST WANTED
Speaking of which! B Mure’s Terrible Means was a perfect prequel to 2017’s Ismyre, providing just enough extra information on that book’s world of struggling artists and shadowy eco terrorists without resorting to the clomping foot of nerdist worldbuilding.
Having managed this, Terrible Means worked its magic like good stories often do, and got me craving more so if Mure wants to give us another installment of this funny, moody, poetic, “eat the rich” fantasy series, I’m in!
MOST PLEASANT SURPRIS
I was lukewarm on Young Animal’s Milk Wars as a whole – if it was a person it would perhaps be too convinced that its semi-ironic desire for a goth gf made it an aberation in the system – but I enjoyed the Shade the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman issue, which stayed true to the VertigoesYA feel of the Shade series while fulfilling its duties to the crossover.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Not a plot twist or whatever whatever, but The Immortal Hulk #1 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett was a forceful statement of intent for that series and I did find myself sitting back for a while to let its fresh and brutal take on The Hulk echo in the room.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
ShortBox. It say on the website that the theme is quality and the books themselves back this up all the way.
BEST NEW SERIES
West Coast Avengers is a joy to read every month. Marvel is really lucky to have Kelly Thompson as an exclusive. Sadly, it seems Stefano Caselli won’t be returning on art duties after the first four issues.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Dog murder notwithstanding, The Weatherman is one the craziest books out right now. Nathan Fox is an absolute treasure, and Jody LeHeup has swiftly become a creator to follow.
THE GIANT DAYS AWARD FOR BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Runaways has achieved something I did not expect: becoming as good as the original run. Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka and company continue to put out a damn near perfect comic every month. I really hope this gets to continue for as long as the creative team has a story to tell.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Wild’s End: Journey’s End. Probably my favorite thing Dan Abnett has done that I’ve read to date, and I.N.J. Culbard is the perfect artist for the job. The conclusion to the series, everything about this book, from the supporting cast of characters to the back matter is just superb. I couldn’t have been more thrilled to find out the series was getting a final chapter (it’s still the third volume, although released directly as an OGN).
FAVOURITE WRITER
Brian K. Vaughan. The man is nothing but consistently excellent. I’ve got mixed feelings about the Legendary deal, mainly because Legendary’s film output is a mixed bag in itself.
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Max Sarin continues to give us comics gold every month with Giant Days.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Triona Farrell (Crowded, West Coast Avengers, Mech Cadet Yu, Runaways, et al.). Hey, if you’re tagging in for Matt Wilson you must be doing something right. I think she’s great at setting the tone for a given scene, also: does beautiful sunsets.
MOST WANTED
I would love a revitalized X-Men line that was something other than plain and mediocre. The X books basically just fill a slot in the publishing schedule at this point. There have been a handful of titles that were above average this year (X-23, Rogue & Gambit, Grand Design), but overall nothing seems to really work for me. The last time I remember being actually exited for a team book was when Jason Aaron was still on Wolverine and the X-Men.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
I hadn’t been hooked by any of Sarah Vaughn’s or Leila del Duca’s recent endeavors, and thus picked up the first issue if Sleepless rather reluctantly, not expecting it to become one of my favorite books of the year. In a time where Image floods the market with myriad fantasy and sci-fi #1 issues week after week, it really stands out as a remarkable comic.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
The five issue run of Hey Kids! Comics! for the monthly reminder that this medium that brings me so much joy is built on the backs of entire generations of creators and artists that were royally fucked over by the industry.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Jason Aaron’s tenure on Thor is about to enter its eighth year, and has consistently been one the best books on the shelves since it launched. This run is going to be one for the ages. Here’s to another eight years.
BEST NEW SERIES
West Coast Avengers – Marvel Comics
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Penciller(s): Stefano Caselli & Daniele Di Nicuolo
Inker(s): Stefano Caselli & Daniele Di Nicuolo
Colorist: Tríona Tree Farrell
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
The Wrong Earth – Ahoy Comics
Writer: Tom Peyer
Penciller: Jamal Igle
Inker: Juan Castro
Colorist: Andy Troy
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
The Wild Storm – DC Comics
Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciller: Jon Davis-Hunt
Inker: Jon Davis-Hunt
Colorist: Brian Buccellato – ‘Brian Bucce’
Letterer: Simon Bowlan
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
Rogue & Gambit – Marvel Comics
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Penciller: Pere Pérez
Inker: Pere Pérez
Colorist: Frank G. D’Armata
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Joe Caramagna
FAVOURITE WRITER
Kelly Thompson – West Coast Avengers, Rogue & Gambit, Mr. & Mrs. X, Nancy Drew and Uncanny X-Men
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Jon Davis-Hunt – The Wild Storm
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Tríona Tree Farrell – Blackbird, Crowded, James Bond 007 and West Coast Avengers
MOST WANTED
Geoff Johns & Gary Frank finally finishing Doomsday Clock.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Dark Horse’s Buffy titles ending with a very solid final 12th season, entitled the Reckoning.
Writer(s): Christos Gage & Joss Whedon
Penciller: Georges Jeanty
Inker(s): Andy Owens, Karl Story & Dexter Vines
Colorist: Dan Jackson
Letterer: Comicraft
STIFF DRINK AWARD
The two punch of The Wicked + The Divine 38 & 39
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Marvel finally resolving the X-Men O5 plotline.
I really haven’t read enough yhis year to judge fairly, but:
BEST CONTINUING SERIES:
Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses
Like a magic trick. Pulling a longer-than-original-series megastory out of a fill-in-issue sized hat
SQUEAKING IN WITH MY PICKS:
BEST NEW SERIES
West Coast Avengers. I hoped this might be fun, I didn’t expect it to be a ridiculously fun character comedy piece reminiscent of Justice League International.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
DIE could be a strong shout for this but it’s tough to say after only one issue, as good a first issue as it was. So I’m going to say Cover, by Bendis and Mack. It’s ridiculous, but I’m enjoying it.
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
Giant Days. Of course it’s Giant Days. In years to come Giant Days is going to be talked about as one of the greatest comics ever published, because it is. It just absolutely refuses to sag, and the Australia special was an unexpected high point of the year. The only thing Giant Days is ever going to do wrong is that one day it’ll end.
BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN
24 Panels, a remarkable and laudable achievement.
FAVOURITE WRITER
Chip Zdarsky. In a red-letter year for Spider-Man, and particularly for explorations of what Spider-Man means to us, he nailed it not once, but twice, with the J Jonah Jameson annual and his final issue on the main series. He absolutely gets why the character is so powerful, with the added bonus that his sympathetic, entertaining portrayal of Jonah has revitalised one of the great supporting characters with a brilliant new status quo that I’m only worried won’t last much now he’s left the main Spidey books. What’s particularly striking about Zdarsky, too, is the way he’s gone from being “the funny guy” to being “one of Marvel’s A-list writers”, while still also remaining the funny guy.
(This was also very close to being Kelly Thompson, not just for WCA but also for being the first person to properly take on Jessica Jones post-Bendis and absolutely 100% nailing it)
FAVOURITE ARTIST
Max Sarin. What she brings to Giant Days in terms of character and expression is consistently incredible.
FAVOURITE COLOURIST
Matt Wilson. The field of comics colourists over the last few years is, I think, the strongest the industry has ever had; but while there are many names turning out excellent work, Wilson is the one who seems most interested in pushing the envelope for how colours can affect the reading experience of a comic.
MOST WANTED
Ryan North to write more comics. It’s not that I don’t want to see him keep doing Squirrel Girl (which remains consistently excellent), it’s just that I don’t understand why people aren’t falling over themselves to give him other stuff, too.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Bendis’ move to DC actually having a positive, revitalising effect on the quality of his work. He’s not quite at his early-mid 2000s days, but his take on Superman is a breath of fresh air and all the creator-owned stuff so far has been enjoyable to differing degrees. Fascinated to see how he’ll handle this new boutique imprint he’s been given, too.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Saga seems to have dropped out of the general comics conversation somewhat in the last couple of years, and there was a definite sense of it treading water. So credit to it for going into its extended hiatus on maybe the most absolutely heart-shattering, Brian K Vaughny moment Brian K Vaughan has ever come up with.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo for getting a shit Batman comic into all the national media simply by putting a penis in it. I bet everyone else wishes they’d thought of it.