A Convergence of Secret Wars lead to an onslaught of new number ones and new beginnings.
How do you pick favorite comics of the year? We kept it down to new number ones issues.
Here’s we go with a screaming fresh start for a DC icon:
Black Canary
You can call it “Batgirling” but we call it rock and roll, kung fu kick-ass fun. Brenden Fletcher and Annie Wu reinvigorated the classic character with a wild road trip as Dinah becomes the front woman for Black Canary – the band – and goes on an odyssey to save a child and find the mysterious force behind her new mission.
Descender
A very human story of a boy robot on the run in the aftermath of a humanity vs robots war. TIM-21’s struggle is heartbreaking and thrilling in this Image comic by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen.
Archie vs. Predator
One of the most bizarre crossovers ever. Archie art style but will the gore and bloody you’d expect from the sci-fi horror film. Alex de Campi rocked a thrilling, fun horror ride from a spring break jungle back to Riverdale as the gang faced the galaxy’s ultimate killer.
Midnighter
Steve Orlando’s revival of the the classic Wildstorm character from The Authority is a violent thrill ride in DC’s bizarre sci-fi underworld with one of the only gay heroes in comics. Midnighter is a balance of action, adventure and rare look into a dark anti-hero’s escapades after a super breakup.
Secret Wars
The Marvel and Ultimate Universes are dead. Doom rules Battleworld as a God. Jonathan Hickman wrapped the multiple plots from his Avengers/New Avengers run into a multi-layered cosmic clash of titans and armies composed of Marvel’s mightiest epic arcs. Hickman and artist Esad Ribic are maestros orchestrating the ultimate war between Doom and Reed Richards with heroes and villains of every Marvel house entwined in the battle.
Book of Death
How do the heroes of the Valiant Universe die? Set in the future, Eternal Warrior must protect an evil Geomancer’s grim prediction that rocked the entire line by Robert Venditti, Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite.
Mighty Thor
Jane Foster is the Goddess of Thunder. Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman craft an epic and emotional story of a human woman fighting cancer and wielding a new destiny in Asgard. Replacing the Odinson was a creative risk that readers old and new welcomed. The just released Mighty Thor #1 set the stage for Jane’s new adventures with war in the Realms. Beautifully written and drawn, Thor is thrilling and inspiring.
Star Wars
Marvel’s line of comics by writers Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen feel like A New Hope never stopped and the action, intrigue and Jedi mysteries kept spinning before your senses.
At Emerald City Comicon I told the Marvel panel I would read a Chewbacca series even if it the word balloons were grunts, growls and howls. Writer Gerry Duggan delivers a thrilling fun ride with the Wookie warrior and a new kid sidekick. Charles Soule told a lost tale of Lando Calrissian.
In Shattered Empire, Greg Rucka created new heroes in sharing the events following the Return of the Jedi. Every book in the line captures the feel and gives rich canon in the trilogy.
By Editor