Caveat: most DC’s magazine-sized black label books, some of which are obvious contenders here, are not included. Sorry for that but I’m still behind on them. I read a lot of comics.
1. Gideon Falls - Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino continue to create one of the finest comics ever written. This is a genre transcending peek into the future of comics. Lemire has established himself as one of the great comic writers of all time and Sorrentino is putting on a clinic on what can be done with a page. This book is two of the greatest comic book creators working today teaming up to provide you with the shape of things to come in comics. I read the finale last week and can say it definitely sticks the landing. Looking forward to going back over the whole of it soon.
2. Slaughterhouse Five - I was skeptical of an adaptation of my favorite fiction novel for the normal reasons but I trusted Ryan North and his collaborator Albert Monteys due to North’s excellent work on Squirrel Girl, one of the most surprising success stories in mainstream comics of the new millennium. I was not disappointed. Part adaptation, part exploration of Vonnegut’s process and inspiration, it was as much a tribute as a recreation and it was brilliant. Fans of comics can appreciate the stylistic choices made in adapting a classic and fans of Vonnegut will love the degree to which these guys get it.
3. Pulp - Brubaker and Phillips never stop turning out brilliant works of art and Pulp is no exception to their impressive resume (for my money, the best collaboration across multiple books in modern comics history). Pulp both is and is not what you think it is based on the cover. Read it and, if you haven’t already, get every book these two have worked on. They’re always on their game. I also really enjoyed their most recent novel, Reckless, and am looking forward to the upcoming volumes in 2021.
4. Thor - Jason Aaron’s character redefining work on Thor was always going to be a tough act to follow, but no one ever made money off of underestimating Donny Cates. His first arc with Nic Klein sold out immediately and for good reason: it was badass. Playing into elements of both the Aaron run and Cates other work on various Marvel titles, a newly King Thor has to face an unheard of universal threat. I suspect we haven’t heard the last of the Black Winter. Coming up next is Don Blake, Thor’s former alter ego, in a mind bender of a villain introduction no one saw coming. I love this book.
5. Hellblazer - One of the worst cancellations in modern mainstream comics history. No one will ever make sense of this to me. So Spurrier, Eddie Campbell, Matias Bergara, and others contributed to what is probably my favorite Constantine tale of all time. Constantine vs. Constantine for the soul of a wizard. It’s actually better than it sounds and it sounds awesome. Two of my five favorite individual books of the year were in this title. I’ll be going back to this one over the holidays for sure.
6. Marauders - Gerry Duggan has in recent years really jumped toward the top of my list of writers and for good reason: he does a lot of things well and writes the best dialogue in the business today. No one could better portray the characters at the heart of the palace intrigue that is this book better than he does. Stefano Casseli and Matteo Lolli turn in deeply expressive and energetic art for every issue of this book. Being the best X-men book on the shelves in 2020 is a real accomplishment.
7. Something is Killing the Children - James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera weave a supernatural horror story with creativity, heart, and intrigue the likes of which comics have rarely seen. This book builds off of our fascination with Stranger Things type products without aping their mojo by featuring strange monsters and an even stranger protagonist with a truly creepy conspiracy theory behind the scenes. If you want to know why everyone is talking about Tynion IV today, this book is as responsible as Batman is for sure.
8. Wonder Woman - Mariko Tamaki deserves more respect than she receives. Bottom line. I’ve overwhelmingly enjoyed her books across the board. Wonder Woman with Mikal Janin was no exception. The book is a team up with Max Lord that goes awry for obvious reasons. Tamaki has this uncanny ability to write minimalist but poignant dialogue at once and it’s very impressive. The result is a book with a kinetic pace but great character pieces all at once. Complemented by Janin’s clean lines and pinpoint precision art, this is a gorgeous book that tells my favorite Wonder Woman story since her animated standalone film.
9. X-Men - Hickman, Yu, and Asrar continued the reset of the X-men through a series of squabbles with various aliens and into the X of Swords event in Otherworld at the behest of Saturnyne. The event was pretty long (my only complaint) but the volumes in the X-men title were favorites, especially the last X-men X of Swords crossover that has Scott and Jean defy the Krakoan council to stand up for their son, the recently de-aged Cable and all of the X-men in Otherworld. Perhaps my favorite writing ever for Scott and my favorite issue of the X-men since Morrison.
10. Doctor Doom - It's no secret that I love the work of Chris Cantwell. I've been a big proponent of Halt & Catch Fire (which Cantwell was the showrunner for) and his more recent work on Iron Man (too new for consideration for 2020, but a runner going into 2021). Doctor Doom has a nominal narrative involving Kang and some political intrigue in Latveria, but the idea is mostly a character study in what turns an ethos into villainy and it's exceptionally well done. If you're looking for kinetic action, this is not your book. If you're looking for spot on characterization and top-tier dialogue, this is the one. Sal Larocca has become one of my favorite comic artists since his work with Gillen on Vader and his work here continues the evolution of Larocca's style.
11. Hulk - Al Ewing and Joe Bennett are telling the most interesting Hulk story in decades, a psychological thriller with supernatural elements that turn everything you know about the Hulk and his cast on its head. Accompanied by the genius covers of Alex Ross, this book never ceases to impress. It’s a very different Hulk book but still involves a lot of smashing so I think it has something for everyone.
