We’re not ashamed to admit we had a bestial time narrowing down our 25 favorite comics of 2017. While the main comics underwent tectonic shifts (Marvel’s legacy initiative, DC’s dual explosions of metal and doomsday clock), independent and original releases flourished from all corners, a clear development when you note that 13 different publishers and labels are represented among our 25 selections . how do you rank a reliably excellent, long-running sci-fi family drama vs. an intimate memoir about loving and leaving dreams? do you penalize a series for shipping sporadically if every issue that came out in 2017 landed with a punch to the gut that left us reeling for months to come? the result of reconciling our diverse tastes is a mix of superhero social commentary, immigration memoir, musings on monstrosity, and caveman satire, all occupying the same countdown. these comics, as broad as they are in their themes, styles, and executions, are quite simply the best comics of 2017.
25. the flintstones
writer: mark russell artists: steve pugh, rick leonardi editor: dc comics paste is still mourning the loss of mark russell and the artist ben caldwell’s prez—could there be a better time for a plucky political palate cleanser?—but at least russell had a full 12 issues of the flintstones (and soon snagglepuss) to convey their subversive and socially biased wit. Alongside artists Steve Pugh and Rick Leonardi, Russell has tackled commercialism, monogamy, and race in this comedic sequel to the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon. This year he has also featured the goofy green alien, the Great Gazoo, who is giving humanity an “F” as the town of Bedrock grapples with the local church’s use of indulgences. Russell tackled similar territory in his hilarious remix of the prose bible, god is disappointed in you, which resulted in plenty of academic-grade vitriol. sean edgar
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24. shading the changeling girl
writer: cecil castellucci artists: marley zarcone, marguerite sauvage editor: dc comics/young animal as most of the animal lineup Young, Shade fills the void left by the staple vertigo of mature ’90s comics, a weird and wonderful adventure that feels like a gem from an indie publisher. a play on shade, the changing man by steve ditko (best known for peter milligan and chris bachalo’s long breakneck run with the character), shade would be captivating if only it focused on the main character’s extraterrestrial origins and his adventures while exploring a foreign planet. but what really makes the book shine is the balance between the fantastical and the mundane, acknowledging that being a teenager isn’t all that different from being a superpowered alien with a magical coat that allows you to possess others. people. our teenage years are marked by a youthful urge to escape the familiar and safe coupled with a curious shock at the behavior of others.
marley zarcone’s crisp yet supple art and colorist kelly fitzpatrick’s color palette are vital in turning the shadow into something both psychedelic and familiar, melting reality around protagonist loma even as she manipulates it through his will. This kind of introspective, kaleidoscopic excursion isn’t unheard of in comics, but it’s rare, if not completely unprecedented, for it to be starred by a young woman. loma is allowed to engage in all the behaviors society often ridicules young women for: she’s mean to her friends, she’s obsessed with her social standing, she’s constantly looking for something new and unique. but this doesn’t make her any less compelling as a lead, or her journey of self-discovery any less important and enjoyable. is the perfect bridge to more adult comics for fans of shows like adventure time and steven universe, riddled with complicated characters and exciting adventures, but rooted in the desire to know both the world and oneself. caitlin rosberg
23. the best we could do
writer/artist: thi bui editor: abrams a genre with awkward names including autobiographical novel and visual memoir, the ever-growing library of comics designed to encapsulate lives real stories is bringing a wide range of important stories to entirely new audiences. Following in the footsteps of authors such as Gene Luen Yang and Lucy Knisley, Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do presents the story of the cartoonist’s family as they travel from Southeast Asia to America, and position in the Bui finds herself trapped when sandwiched between her son and his parents. As with many immigration stories, Bui’s book revolves around identity. The best we could do has taken a long time, and its author sold the first few chapters online, but this printed volume collects all 15 in one place. Born in Saigon, Bui and her family came to America after the fall of South Vietnam, and her story offers readers a unique insight into the life of a family fleeing violence and fear in a time of political turmoil. : a reminder of the microconsequences of macropolitical actions. caitlin rosberg
22. aliens: dead orbit
Writer/Artist: James Stokoe Editor: Dark Horse Comics Like fellow precision artists Geof Darrow and the late great Bernie Wrightson, James Stokoe never stops drawing down to nearly every millimeter of canvas is shaded, shaded, and/or stylized. as seen in orc stain and his godzilla runs, it takes a microscope to appreciate images of him in his chiseled, hyper-articulated depth. In Aliens: Dead Orbit, Stokoe uses his talents to shape a cosmic graveyard of space junk, dwarfed in scope and overwhelmingly vast. zoom in close enough, and a lone space engineer sits stranded on the wasteland. Although this miniseries uses one of the most iconic horror franchises in film history, it builds on its foundation by imposing an absolute sense of scale and futility. yes, protagonist wascylewski mixes wits with xenomorphs and facehuggers, but stokoe’s art begs what’s the point? in a heavenly void of hope, light years from any help. aliens: dead orbit is a venn diagram of wonder, depression, and the specter of salvation, all spread out on 6.63″ x 10.24″ paper that feels as big as the universe itself. its most indifferent way. sean edgar
21. saga
writer: brian k. vaughan artist: fiona staples editor: image comics if the 48 issues of the saga have confirmed anything, it’s that writer brian k. vaughan and artist fiona are in this for the (very) long term. At the end of this winding sci-fi expedition about family, loyalty, sex, and bananas, grad students will write their thesis on this landmark comic and future writers will eschew the genre, sighing sadly: I’m not going touch that shit. after saga. In the first act, two star-crossed alien lovers gave birth to a hybrid baby, united in a fight of us against the universe while two amoral armies hunted them down. the second act showed how the greatest battles—drug addiction, infidelity, and self-doubt—can break out in the most peaceful calms. The third dealt a personal blow to parent heroes Alana and Marko midway through. to read saga is to experience an obsessive simulation of a family’s lifespan, much more real than any prey mantis schoolteacher comic should be. the creative team has never failed to fuse shocking creativity with heart-wrenching drama, and no issue has ever gone unworthy of our support. sean edgar
20. god’s country
writer: donny cates artist: geoff shaw editor: image comics many comics deal with religion, including star cosmology pop of the evil + the divine, the apocalyptic prophecies of east of west, the blasphemous absurdity of battle pope and the sacrilege flavored with john wayne from preacher. garth ennis and steve dillon’s classic series about a wayward holy man imbued with the power of a lesser deity had a lot to say about texas and god, two massive entities that also feature in the new god country , written by donny cates and illustrated by geoff shaw with colorist jason wordie. Cates and Shaw have crafted a version of religion and family that is personal and compelling, and it’s no wonder Marvel brought the pair together in Thanos. Despite its larger-than-life scale, god country feels like a very personal story about sticking with family members, even when all logic would say it’s time to let it go. mark pedros
19. spy seal
writer/artist: rich tomasso editor: image comics spy seal cartoonist rich tommaso made headlines after lamenting low orders of his vibrant new book. It’s a shame, as the cartoonist is clearly talented and channels a cool aesthetic, the clean Franco-Belgian fun of the 60s for all ages of tintin, in his marine mammal mystery. marks tommaso’s third visual turn in the editor’s image, first with the black pot dark corridor and then the 80s horror watercolor of loba. As with previous entries, Tommaso encompasses all aspects of the aesthetic adopted from him. the simple and benign font, adherence to color fills rather than gradients, and a general devotion to clarity make spy seal seem more like a relic existing inside wes anderson’s head in instead of a mainstream comics publisher. Fortunately, it is, and it’s damn delicious. to buy this series is to cultivate a market willing to break with the styles of the house and expand the range of the color palette a few shades beyond the usual, and be surprised by artistic legacies that should not only belong to the history books . sean edgar
18. house of women
writer/artist: sophie goldstein editor: fantagraphics alternately spiky and luscious, house of women draws you in as you walk away. cartoonist sophie goldstein writes sparingly about an interstellar community of ladies, but the resulting story isn’t annoyingly artistic or difficult to follow; it’s not drawn by a comic artist just for other comic artists who speak the jargon and can read the subtext. In fact, it’s no surprise that Margaret Atwood (restless, relentless experimenter, unafraid to throw herself into any genre that catches her interest, including comics) is an inspiration for this complexly feminist, female-centric story of colonization and controlled social dynamics. Goldstein doesn’t provide easy answers: the book is theme-driven rather than plot-focused first and foremost, but she knows how to be difficult enough. hillary brown
17. angelica sticks
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writer/artist: michael deforge editor: drawn & quarterly sticks angelica isn’t michael deforge’s most serious work. Rendered in black, white, and magenta, it’s a playable vehicle. that does not mean that it does not have melancholy moments. the plot is full of missing connections between characters and places, the meaning behind a statement failing to bridge the gap from one brain to another. all these scenes are slightly sad, but they also have some sweetness. the geese, fish, deer, bears, humans, insects, and rabbits that populate the book keep trying to catch up with each other; sometimes, but not often, they are successful. the ideas are interesting, and the individual strips, with their delicate patterns and clever use of colour, produce a conscious existential experience. Is there meaning in the world? in the desert? In the universe? who knows. but there is art, and deforge is doing it. hilary brown
16. california dreaming
writer/artist: penelope bagieu editor: first second california dreamin’ by pénélope bagieu: cass elliot before the mamas & the papas offers a daunting proposition. The ’60s era of children’s music is overly romanticized, the contours of Elliot’s life are well known, and the subject matter is primarily auditory, making it difficult for a medium that doesn’t suit that sense. But Bagieu overcomes those obstacles in style by depicting the life of a woman who made great musical contributions, despite struggling with her body image and her substance abuse. the cartoonist works with pencils, without color, but the graphic novel does not need bright hues to blur with life. Bagieu’s line feels personal, as if the reader put it on the page with their eyes as they read it. Rather than clean up with ink and photoshop, the aesthetic has an organic quality that fits into a woman’s story defined by rough and soft contrasts. it’s a cautious love song for a complicated artist who gave the world moments of flowery joy. hilary brown
15. everything is flammable
writer/artist: gabrielle bell editor: uncivilized books gabrielle bell comics come from unexpected angles. Whether her stories are dreamy fiction or drawn from life, Bell eschews the predictable and draws the reader into shocking emotional truths that emerge organically from words and images. his work is subtle in its execution and grandiose in its scope, never going where one might expect. over the decades, the focus of bell’s work has changed slightly: the offbeat surrealism of his shorter works collected in 2009’s cecil and jordan in new york has given way to non-fiction tinged with books like los mirones. bell’s last confessional, everything is flammable from uncivilized books, recounts her experience after a fire consumed her mother’s house in california. The graphic novel experiments with structure, telling Bell’s story along with various other narratives that serve as counterpoint. it’s deft storytelling, a moving story with a tactile sense of place throughout. tobias carroll
14. no limits
writer/artist: jillian tamaki editor: drawn & Quarterly at its core, Jillian Tamaki’s Boundless is a series of short stories that examine the concepts of connection: the constant search for purpose. what makes the book feel simultaneously so contemporary and yet specific to a time capsule is the pervasive lens through which this subject is explored: a chronicle of modern interactions with technology and culture, through often with a focus on how the former has impacted the latter. In the age of technology, connection occurs through consumption, relationships with culture define relationships with people, and define the individual self.
but people don’t change. however much the means, the manners and the dress are altered, human nature remains constant. people want belonging, place, fulfillment, to feel part of everything, or part of something. in “body pods”, a woman describes her partners in relation to her enthusiasm for a cult movie. developments in the lives of the actors and the production of a remake parallel events and meaning on their own. “jenny” posits a facebook mirror, where information gleaned from the site is used to create another “you”. the main character becomes obsessed with the differences between her life and that of her mirror self: the possibilities of alternative and better paths. “sex coven” is an internet fable about a strange music archive that takes on mythical qualities. it is overlooked at first, gaining a small following, an object of popularity and misunderstood hysteria, before becoming something around which commercialism and “irony” grows. in “give it!” A retro sitcom finds new life on the internet, giving its director renewed relevance as he hits the convention circuit, even as he worries that it’s part of a joke and that people won’t “get” it the right way. way it was intended. Unlimited is many things: contemplative, cynical, funny, surreal, but most of all it anchors Tamaki as a formidable essayist of modern life, and undeniably one of the greatest cartoonists of this generation. zainab ajtar
13. paper girls
writer: brian k. vaughanartist:cliff chiangpublisher:image comics After encapsulating the nostalgia of 1980s midwestern youth in his freshman year, brian k. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s sci-fi Bildungsroman has only gotten stranger and better as its mysteries unfold. Image’s latest blockbuster takes four girls on a Cleveland newspaper trail and thrusts them into a spatio-temporal conflict between the aging establishment and youthful disruptors. And while Gilded Age Spielberg may have served as a starting point, Vaughan’s excellent characterization and rising stakes heighten the tension beyond escapism: what does a boy do when he learns he won’t survive to adulthood? ? And what’s worse: how does a child respond when he learns that he will grow old and become a mediocre and uninspired adult? these existential buzzkills loom over a candy-colored topiary of giant water bears and warriors, dinosaur-riding bosses and analog robots. artist cliff chiang and colorist matt wilson immerse the fantastical around teenage girls who look and react like teenage girls, a truly impressive feat in comics. sean edgar
12. extremity
writer/artist: daniel warren johnson editor: image comics/skybound paste named extremity one of their most anticipated comics of 2017, and for good reason: space mullet‘s daniel warren johnson has long been one of the comics industry’s best-kept secrets, an “artist’s artist” who hasn’t quite reached the public general. extremity, his violent and bizarre debut in heaven, finally puts that charade right. Like a fury road in outer space, extremity is a bloody, fast-paced tale of tribal warfare in a sci-fi world that never quite got over class stratification. And like George Miller of Fury Road, Johnson thrusts his readers right into protagonist Thea’s revenge-driven conflict at breakneck speed, making it one of the most purely comics out there. >exciting from recent memory. steve foxe
11. the abominable mr. sea stream
writer/artist: joe ollmann editor: drawn & quarterly in his introduction to the abominable mr. seabrook , cartoonist joe ollmann poignantly writes about what attracted him to the globetrotting scribe: his honesty and his insecurity. (Ollmann also notes that both he and his subject have struggled with alcohol, and both mixed/combined a desire to believe in the supernatural with an inherent skepticism.) Going further, this volume, spanning the span of a lifetime, makes the case for Seabrook’s continued relevance as a writer, charting an unsettling decline and fall. Ollmann has also been involved in continuing the Seabrook legacy in other ways, helping to facilitate the release of new editions of Seabrook’s books asylum (about his efforts to get sober) and the magic island (account of his visit to haiti). Before reading Ollmann’s lucid and empathetic account, the name William Seabrook may have been foreign; in the end, readers will probably want to order one of his books, the mark of a comprehensive and compelling literary biography. tobias carroll
10. paradise song
writer/artist: gary panter editor: fantagraphics following his cover version of dante comics in jimbo’s inferno and jimbo in purgatory , legendary punk artist gary panter now completes his trilogy (sort of) with songy in paradise. in many ways, its title, its dimensions, its less than 100 percent reverential approach to canonical literature, is a continuation of the project. in others, it is a game. Instead of featuring Jimbo, Panter’s buzz-cut alter ego, it casts Songy, a simple hillbilly, as the lead. and, despite the title of the book, which seems to suggest the last third of the divine comedy, in which dante ascends through the celestial spheres, he tackles milton’s paradise recovered . it is a protestant rather than a catholic tale, written in blank verse that sets its sights on majesty rather than dante’s agile concatenations.
It’s also a lot to take in, and while it’s part of it a joke, part of it isn’t. if panter just argued that songy is a jerk, you could file the book as parody, but songy in paradise is as serious as it is silly, as unbelievable (in the original meaning) as it is entertaining, as much a tribute to Milton’s vision as a testimony to the panter itself. hillary brown
9. the mighty thor
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writer: jason aaron artists: russell dauterman, others editor: marvel comics “what is the best thor run?” used to have an easy answer, or rather two easy answers: stan lee and jack kirby did more than create marvel’s version of the norwegian god of thunder in the ’60s: they created a sprawling epic that often It was more creative than his Fantastic Four run.Then, in the 1980s, a long creative drought ended when Walt Simonson brought a cosmic scale and sense of humor back to the title, along with his gorgeous and dynamic art. .but these untouchable races are a touching distance away, thanks to jason aaron and a host of talented artists.since taking over odinson in 2012, aaron has been creating a multi-dimensional, multi-thor saga that’s more ambitious and fun than ever before. anything else marvel has been releasing in the same time period, or maybe any period do of time Even under the latest legacy banner with the milestone number 700. With Jane Foster’s Thor Saga, Aaron has embodied a meta-element in the comic book perfectly, as Odin’s rejection of female Thors represents comic book fans who they cannot handle change, especially change involving women. Odin, the quintessential white old man, represents male dominance at its worst, and is supported by goofy followers who hang up “fake thor” signs reflecting the complaints of change-hating and/or misogynistic fans. when foster clobbers odin with mjolnir, it’s a beautiful moment. as she says, “…when you’re a hundred-pound woman dying of cancer…it feels great to punch god in the face.” mark pedros
8. hostage
writer/artist: guy delisle editor: drawn & Guy Delisle’s Library Quarterly draws heavily from the cartoonist’s international ventures across exotic geographies including Jerusalem, Burma, North Korea, and China. His intimate and stylized lines escorted readers through the areas through travelogues, providing exciting bits of culture and history with each new sequence of panels. hostage is a jarring starting point in both tone and approach. The 436-page doorstop conveys the trials of Christophe Andre, a Doctors Without Borders employee who was thrown into solitary confinement for 100 days while working in the North Caucasus. instead of the dizzying parade of culture shock and architecture, delisle now traps readers inside four bleak walls alongside its protagonist for a long, long, long time. this book is an exercise in brutal empathy, a meditation on the thinly written drudgery and terrifying ambiguity of human captivity. the result is simply intense, a crystal clear example of what sequential storytelling is capable of communicating. sean edgar
7. you & a bicycle & a path
writer/artist: eleanor davis editor: koyama press in march 2016, eleanor davis decided to ride a bicycle from her parents’ house in arizona to athens, georgia , where she lives. here and there, she would draw things that she saw and upload them to instagram. her followers received small dispatches as she made her way from southwest to southeast. she sometimes got discouraged. other times she seemed overwhelmed by the beauty of the world or the kindness of strangers. the story unfolds slowly, without a classic narrative structure or predictable spikes in drama, but it’s engrossing. you & a bicycle & a road collects those drawings and captures the journey, while she compresses the time she took. it’s easily one of the best books of the year; the sense of immediacy and unfiltered emotion, its most notable characteristics, are rare and difficult to get right. hilary brown
6. 4 children walk into a bank
writer: matthew rosenberg artist: tyler boss editor: black mask studios matthew rosenberg and tyler boss’s intrepid tale of teens facing realities Adults shipped only two of its five issues in 2017, but we can’t deny how well the creative team nailed the landing. The book thrives on sharp characterization, along with Tyler Boss’s accurate facial expressions and hilarious fantasy sequences, and a looming darkness lurking behind it all. In this Black Mask miniseries, childhood friends Paige, Pat, Berger and Walter hatch a plan to steal cash to pay off a group of thieves who are bullying Paige’s father. the inherent intelligence that oozes from these panels is choppy and rhythmic, probably obscuring the fact that this work was a meticulous job that took years to complete. As a beautiful remix of nostalgic ’80s art directed by visual icon Saul Bass, 4 Kids Walk into a Bank has finally ventured into our hearts. sean edgar
5. black hammer
writer: jeff lemire artists: dean ormston, david rubin editor: dark horse comics black hammer en Jeff Lemire’s remix of every silver age superhero beat he’s invented. Lemire and artists Dean Ormston and David Rubin throw themselves into a postmodern buffet where Adam Strange is a cunning, no-nonsense hermit and Mary Marvel is a middle-aged alcoholic woman trapped in the super-powered body of a child. These characters are inexplicably trapped in the rural town of Rockwood, caged by an invisible fence that kills them if they walk through it. the second year of the series has only hinted at the cavernous depth waiting to be explored; the relationships, careers and decades that lie behind each player. As fun as it can be to watch the creators revel in their laissez faire layered sandbox, black hammer‘s haunting characterization, subtly conveyed by ormston, is what that elevates it to excellence. In these pages alone, a shape-shifting alien’s acceptance of his sexuality feels as epic as a battle with a cosmic anti-god. sean edgar
4. rotate
writer/artist: tillie walden editor: first second tillie walden is a wonder of empathy, a cartoonist who can immerse himself in emotion on a molecular level through dynamic panels with changing perspectives. that talent has channeled the journey from youth to adulthood in works that include I love this part, a city inside and the end of summer. turn glides over similar truths in Walden’s memoir of competitive ice skating. the 400-page journey feels intimate and personal without veering into smug extremes, plotting cherished epiphanies that prompt children to abandon defunct dreams and embrace new ones. Walden plays tight calves and frozen pools with a devotion that underlies the 10 years he spent playing the sport. the door stopper book offers the same breathless humanity as craig thompson’s blankets and the tamaki cousins’ this summer, and a perfect palette cleanser to roll into the months colder. sean edgar
3. doom patrol
writer: gerard way artists: nick derington, mike allred editor: dc comics/ young animal in a not entirely surprising twist on events, young animal architect gerard way and illustration sensation nick derington took a little longer than anticipated to finish the first arc of their psychedelic reinvention doom patrol, although fans of the franchise will have difficulties in discussing that initial arch “brick by brick” was not worth the wait. Way and Derington, with extensive help from colorist Tamra Bonvillain, distill the gonzo appeal of Grant Morrison and Richard Case’s storied career, as well as the oft-overlooked follow-up to Rachel Pollack and Company, with insights that are genuinely new , a feat that is rarer than it should be in the modern comic climate. During an era of reboots eager to tear apart previous continuities, Way, Derington, and Bonvillain (with a large, reliable guest assist from Mike and Laura Allred) doubled down on years of reality-ruling storytelling into a new EMT story about their head, and a gyro that is more than just tasty street food. doom patrol didn’t publish as many issues as expected in 2017, but each long-awaited installment demonstrates the vital need for the young animal’s thesis statement: comics for dangerous humans. steve foxe
2. mr miracle
writer: tom king artist: mitch gerads editor: dc comics with the mister miracle maxi-series, tom King and Mitch Gerads attempt to build a new literary touchstone in comics. Just as watchmen channeled 1980s cold war nihilism, ghost world tackled 1990s isolationism and the ultimates astride post- With 9/11 patriotism and unchecked military force, this book aims to reflect the pre-apocalyptic dissonance of the now, a toxicity that gave King an anxiety attack so severe it led to his death. emergency room. it’s a lofty goal, but after reading the first four numbers, damn if they’re not on the right track. The series captures a spirit of discord in its pages, confining Jack Kirby’s messianic escapist in a cage of his own malaise. Like his penciled work on The Sheriff of Babylon, also written by King, Gerads’s subtle facial expressions and body language harmonize with the naturalistic dialogue, lending each sigh and joke a new seriousness. . this is not just an immaculately produced comic, but a comic designed to be relevant. sean edgar
1. my favorite thing is monsters
writer/artist: emil ferris editor: fantagraphics the first volume of emil ferris’s debut comic, my favorite thing is monsters, It was scheduled for release in October 2016, timed to coincide with Halloween. but the company that owned the ship that transported the printed books went bankrupt, leaving its cargo in a terrible limbo that delayed the book until February of this year. somehow the hiccup was appropriate. the ferris book has been anticipated for much longer and has gone through multiple iterations. it’s the kind of achievement that requires a certain sense of mission to complete. but now it’s here courtesy of publisher fantagraphics, and it was well worth the wait.
oversized with paper binding, my favorite thing is monsters feels heavier than a cardboard cover, but ephemeral at the same time. the story draws from ec comics, holocaust literature, detective fiction, monster movies, harriet the spy-style children’s literature, and more, weaving a complex tapestry throughout the 1960s that surprisingly resembles our current era. Are his monsters a metaphor or a reality? And are the people who look like monsters the ones we should fear? ferris does not provide simple answers. instead, his work melds the style and atmosphere of the godfather of film noir raymond chandler with the passionate moral intensity found pulsing beneath a good tales from the crypt episode. hillary brown
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