50 Best Comics of the Decade (2010-2015) Thus Far: Part 2 (#45-41)
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| Valiant |
45. The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage (Valiant, 2014-2015)
Writer - Jen Van MeterIllustrator - Roberto De La Torre
Colourist - David Baron
Letterer - Dave Lanphear
The always reader-friendly Valiant offer up a slightly more challenging story in their five issue miniseries The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage from late 2014. This emotional and spiritual journey penned by Jen Van Meter, follows Dr. Shan Fong (Doctor Mirage), a parapsychologist and supernatural investigator gifted with the ability to speak to the dead. All the dead, except her own late husband, whose recent passing still looms over the grief-stricken Fong. The character previously appeared in several issues of Shadowman but those are not required reading to get into this miniseries, which serves as a solid introduction to her character and backstory. The art seen throughout is a little outside the norm for the Valiant Universe, with frayed sketchwork pencils, with colouring that goes over the lines in the best way possible; in giallo horror movie fashion, entire pages are frequently filtered through just one colour, most commonly reds, blues, yellows. The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage is a comic that probably should have been an ongoing instead of a mini, but at least Valiant promised us a second miniseries, premiere date still unannounced.
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| Dark Horse Comics |
44. Willow Wonderland (Dark Horse, 2012-2013)
Writers - Jeff Parker, Christos GageIllustrator - Brian Ching
Colourist - Michelle Madsen
Inker - Jason Gorder
Letterer - Richard Starkings, Jimmy Betancourt
Executive Producer - Joss Whedon
One of the crown jewels in Buffyverse comics, Willow Wonderland is Willow Rosenberg's brief side adventure in the middle of a hectic Ninth Season. After leaving Buffy at the end of #5, and then taking a trip to a hell dimension over on Angel & Faith, she finds herself on a mystical quest as she tries to restore the magical balance of the universe. A Buffy-comics-reader will no doubt have read this story as intended, having read also Seasons Eight and Nine and knowing the full context of this comic. What's surprising, though, is how accessible Jeff Parker has made Willow Wonderland to those particular Buffy fans who have not been keeping up with the comics. The necessary exposition is there throughout the first issue, without bogging the comic down. Parker and Gage have an ear for Buffyverse dialogue, and Brian Ching and Michelle Madsen create some of the most beautiful pages of Buffy comics ever. Line work is confident and thick, especially around the title character, as it separates her from the new and mysterious world she finds herself in (which is drawn in very thin lines). Character likeness is apt, world designs enchanting, and Madsen's colours are solid and bright.
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| BOOM! Studios |
Writers - Danielle Corsetto (Playing With Fire, Pixel Princesses, Graybles Schmaybles), Kate Leth (Seeing Red, Bitter Sweets)
Illustrators - Zack Sterling (Playing With Fire, Pixel Princesses, Seeing Red, Bitter Sweets), Bridget Underwood (Graybles Schmaybles)
Inkers - Stephanie Hocutt (Playing With Fire, Pixel Princesses), Aubrey Aiese (Pixel Princesses), Ru Xu (Seeing Red), Tessa Stone (Seeing Red), Jenna Ayoub (Bitter Sweets, Graybles Schmaybles), Brittney Williams (Bitter Sweets)
Colourists - Whitney Cogar (Bitter Sweets, Graybles Schmaybles), Fred Stresing (Bitter Sweets)
Tones - Amanda Lafrenais (Playing With Fire, Pixel Princesses, Seeing Red)
Letterers - Mad Rupert (Playing With Fire), Kel McDonald (Pixel Princesses), Aubrey Aiese (Seeing Red, Bitter Sweets, Graybles Schmaybles)
Bonus comic creator - Meredith McClaren (Playing With Fire, Pixel Princesses, Seeing Red, Bitter Sweets, Graybles Schmaybles)
BOOM! Studios has no shortage of Adventure Time comics. There's the ongoing monthly series, a never-ending rotation of six-issue miniseries, and the manga-styled graphic novel pocketbook series. Each of the books in that latter series are self contained stories. Not having to work around strict 22-page-per-issue structure, there's a refreshing calm to these stories, which are paced differently than the ongoing and minis. They almost start off as hangout books before getting into their primary narratives. You wouldn't think Adventure Time, with its junkfood colour palette would work in black and white, but the absence of colour doesn't hinder the first three volumes at all. Colour is introduced in the fourth book (Bitter Sweets), trading the manga aesthetic for a more traditional Adventure Time-feel. Veteran webcomic creator Danielle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots) and webcomic creator-turned-comics superstar Kate Leth (too many comics to list, but she's seriously awesome, people) are as perfect a fit for the Land of Ooo as Ryan North is on the main title. These are comics that are as good as the television series it's based on (and Adventure Time is my favourite ongoing TV series of the last 5 years, in animation or live-action)
A 6th book (the 3rd written by Leth) is to be released November 2015.
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| Marvel Comics |
42. FF (Marvel, 2013-2014)
Writers - Matt Fraction, Lee AllredIllustrators - Mike Allred, Joe Quinones
Colourist - Laura Allred
Letterer - Clayton Cowles
FF is an in-universe Big Two comic that dares to appeal to the All-Ages demographic, and it's one of the funniest and most kind hearted series to come out of Marvel in a long time, even briefly resurrecting interest in the Fantastic Four, a team that has always struggled to stay relevant in the post-Silver Age. Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals and Hawkeye) writes most of this comic, but had to leave prematurely due to commitments on other books. His story guide lines were given to Lee Allred, who wrote the last handful of issues, turning FF into an all-Allred family extravaganza. Mike and Laura are two of the greatest comic book artists in the medium's history, fusing Silver Age and pop art into an explicitly gorgeous entity. Gazing at their comics is like peering into a kaleidoscope made up of spandex suits and bright costumes. FF is a goofy and sweet team book that will make you fall in love with Scott Lang , She-Hulk, Ms. Thing, Medusa and the many gifted and oddball children of the Future Foundation.
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| DC Comics |
Writers - Gail Simone, Ray Fawkes, Marguerite Bennett
Illustrators - Ardian Syaf, Vincente Cifuentes, Alitha Martinez, Ed Benes, Daniel Sampere, Derlis Santacruz, Fernando Pasarin, Robert Gill
Coloursits - Ulises Arreola, Blond, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letteres - Dave Sharpe, Dezi Sienty
Inkers - Jonathan Glapion, Matt Ryan
One of the biggest controversies of the New 52 launch was taking Barbara Gordon out of the wheelchair and back into the Batgirl costume, but she couldn't have been in safer hands than she was with Gail Simone. Having wrote some of the best Babs/Oracle stories in Birds of Prey for several years, her firm grasp on the character carried over into this series. While critics who yelled "ableist" did make a solid argument, it's important to note that Barbara went from representing one group of discriminated and misunderstood people to another; in this case, those suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This was no retcon, either; the brutal attack on Barbara by Joker still happened, and continues to haunt over her in this comic, most dramatically in the "Death of the Family" story line. Frequently a dark and disturbing comic, this run on Batgirl is one of the hardest PG13 titles under the New 52 umbrella. Always engrossing, pushing Babs to the limit in one crazy story after another (remember when she faced off against vampire hunters!?), this Batgirl is a heavy personal narrative that also wears its love of Barbara Gordon on its sleeve. Side note: It's also one of the most mainstream comics in existence to feature an out trans woman, Alysia Yeoh. The current Batgirl run isn't as pro-trans as Simone's, which is one of the factors that convinced me to stop reading.
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