The holidays are right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate then by giving the gift of a good book! There were so many fantastic comics released this year, it’s hard to narrow it down to just a couple of standout stories. However, I will do my best to try and hit some of my highlights from this year in comics (in no particular order).
The Bat-Man: First Knight by Dan Jurgens & Mike Perkins
Have you ever wanted to read a 1930’s Batman story, but with modern day art and writing? That’s exactly what this story is. A masked vigilante known as the Bat-Man has been seen in the shadows of Gotham for the first time. Not long after this caped crusader starts his war on crime, a series of strange and gruesome murders occurs, leaving police baffled. It seems that only the Bat-Man can solve this mystery. But is this newly minted hero up to the task? A beautifully crafted, self-contained mini-series perfect for long time Batman fans and first-time readers alike.
Spider-Man Octo-Girl by Hideyuki Furuhashi & Betten Court
A ridiculous concept that’s a whole lot of fun! Doctor Otto Octavius (aka Doctor Octopus) has fought Spider-Man countless times. Many of these fights have resulted in Otto abandoning his body and beaming his mind into a clone of himself, to avoid being captured by the insufferable arachnid. However, this time didn’t go exactly as planned. Instead of waking up in one of his cloned bodies, Otto finds that his mind has been accidentally transferred to the body of a child! Otoha Okutamiya is your average girl growing up in Tokyo, with drama and bully’s just like any other student. But unlike her friends, she now has a super-villain trapped in her mind trying to “help”. Surprisingly touching, this is perfect for fans of off-beat comedies and coming of age stories.
We Called Them Giants by Kieron Gillen & Stephanie Hans
From the team that brought you DIE comes a post-apocalyptic survival story with a twist. In a world where almost everyone has mysteriously vanished, we follow two young girls as they struggle to survive in an increasingly hostile world. Terrorized by gangs and trying to find the last remaining sources of food and water, things look as if they couldn’t get worse. That is until a giant descends from the sky. A beautiful sci-fi/fantasy coming of age story about growth and healing, this is perfect for fans of modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic thrillers.
The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by Melissa Marr & Jenn St-Onge
A fresh and interesting take on everyone’s favorite power couple that’s great for young adult readers! A young Harleen Quinzel is forced to move out of the city with her family when she’s implicated in a crime she didn’t commit. This means Harleen can’t see her girlfriend, Pamela Isley, without scrounging up some money first. The two decide to sign up for clinical trials at the shady Hawthorne Labs. These trials have some unintended side effects however, as the normally meek and anxious Harleen is transformed into the bombastic and confident Harley! With a newfound persona, Harley (with the help of a newly powered Ivy) decides to expose Hawthorne for all of their evil deeds. A great read for new and old fans alike!
From the artist behind The Woods and Wynd, comes a fantastical story about an island and the spirits trying to protect it. For years, the people in the village have hosted an extravagant feast to honor the spirit protecting their island. But there is something more sinister brewing below the surface of the mayor’s food factory. Looking to find some better ingredients to make his dad’s old recipes, Bandit and his sister Thatcher sneak into the factor to try and find something they can use. What they find instead of food, is a hungry spirit locked up and starving. After giving her some of Bandit’s cooking, she calms down and is able to resume her mission: to stop the corrupt mayor from ruining the island. A stunningly beautiful fantasy about the importance of protecting nature.
Avengers Twilight by Chip Zdarsky & Daniel Acuna
A dystopic tale of hope and heroism, staring your favorite Avengers. Captain America is retired, and on top of that, he’s been stripped of the super soldier serum that gave him his powers. The future has not been kind to Cap. Every move is being monitored and recorded, and the media is controlled by a single corporate entity known as Stark Tech. Cap tends to stick to the shadows these days, but after seeing an ad for a documentary showing the Red Skull in a positive light, he decides to take the fight back to the streets. Teaming up with a new generation of Defenders, Cap wants to take America back from the media dictatorship that has fallen over it’s people. Perfect for fans of alternate future stories like Days of Future Past or Hulk Future Imperfect, Avengers Twilight is up there with the best of them.
There you have it, another year of comics in the books! Now curl up by the fire, grab some hot cocoa, and catch up on some reading ahead of the New Year. Happy Holidays!