My Top Ten Comics of 2013

What a crazy year 2013 brought us in comics! As you heard me mention on the podcast, I would be posting this after episode 110 hits the airwaves, making it third year in a row I have put finger to keyboard to bring you my thoughts on my favorite comics. I will also be including where these books placed on my lists in prior years (if they appeared at all) and a few also rans. As always, you can follow me on the Twitter Machine for the most current and up to date musings from my mind. Enough chit chat, let’s get down to business!



Let’s start things off with a few also rans that very easily could have been on the list and will no doubt be on the list for 2014:

• Sandman: Overture: by Neil Gaiman & JH Williams III – Unfortunately, only one issue of this came out in 2013 but what an issue it was. The epitome of ‘you can go home again’ in a book that matured me as a reader. If the collection is out in 2014, this will certainly be a top five 2014 book for me.
• Sex Criminals: by Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky – a book I almost passed on, but very glad I did. A densely packed (in an Easter egg jokes way) book with a wild and crazy premise (a couple find they can stop time ‘upon completion’) which at three issues in, doesn’t even seem to be the REAL premise. Another book already slipping from the schedule, hoping for more in 2014!
• Velvet: by Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting – another ‘elevator pitch’ book, what if Miss Moneypenny from the James Bond universe was a badass?, but even two issues in, just so much groundwork being laid for a epic storyline

And now, the 2013 Top Ten as picked by ME!:

10. Batman: by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo – (number 4 on both 2011 and 2012 lists) a book that is maybe the best Batman has been in sometime, but the current Year Zero storyline takes it out of the current doings in the rest of the DC New 52. But still DC’s best-selling book, so who am I to argue? I’ll check this drop to everything else being so strong.

9. Trillium: by Jeff Lemire – an eight issue maxi series with the concept of a love story told throughout time, not the craziest book on the list. Every issue, Lemire plays with the way the story is told, from two points of view, backwards, forward and at the same time? A book I can’t imagine how it will be collected, so get those single issues.

8. Swamp Thing: by Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz – (number 7 on last year’s list) Last year, we knew Scott Snyder was coming off the book but did not know who would be taking over. Little did we know that the at the time unknown Charles Soule would continue on the book but in my mind surpassing the prior storyline. This is the book that launched Soule’s current mega body of work.

7. the Walking Dead: by Robert Kirkman & Charles Adlard – (number 2 on the 2011 list and number 3 on the 2012 list) Perhaps a bit of Dead fatigue with the current double shipping and the AMC TV show both being juggernauts. Still, one of my favorite and first read books when released, maybe Kirkman and Adlard have forced everyone else to step up their game?

6. Thor: God of Thunder: by Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic & Ron Garney – Aaron had a banner year with this, Wolverine & the X-Men and Thanos Rising but I had to give the nod to this book. Prior to this, I read less than 10 Thor stories. Now, I can’t see myself without Thor in my life!

5. Daredevil: by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and many more – (number 3 on the 2011 list and number 1 on the 2012 list) still one of the best books being published by any company. This falls a bit this year as the current ‘Sons of the Serpent’ storyline really hasn’t been the strongest villains for Matt Murdock. Being re-launched in February with a new number one.

4. Hawkeye: by Matt Fraction, David Aja and a few others – (number 5 on the 2012 list) Marvel has been killing with their super hero stuff. Matt Fraction is a writer who I have loved because of this book and Clint Barton is one of my favorite characters of all time. An uptick from last year, even though it missed a chuck of the summer.

3. Superior Spider-Man: by Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos and many more – (number 8 on the 2012 list) Spider-Man is THE character for me in comics, the star of my first comic many, many years ago but this isn’t the same Spidey you’ve read before. This one is BETTER! The current storyline has Otto Octavius (Dr. Octopus) taking over the body of Peter Parker and the stories have been better than ever. Don’t believe the nay sayers, check this book out!

2. Superior Foes of Spider-Man: by Nick Spencer & Steve Leiber – SO close to being number one on the 2013 list, but with only six issues, I couldn’t do it in good conscious. I’m a sucker for D-list characters, especially villains, ESPECIALLY Spider-Man’s D-list villains. Want to care about Boomerang? Want to see one of the most visually stunning and creative books ever? Get Superior Foes of Spider-Man before they cancel it!

1. Saga: by Brian K Vaughn and Fiona Staples – (number 2 on the 2012 list) The best comic book being published today. The book I recommend to more people than any other comic since. An epic book, easy to pick up, always in print, have yet to meet a person who doesn’t love this book. What are you doing reading this, go get Saga NOW!