50 Best Comics of the Decade (2010-2015) Thus Far: Part 3 (#40-36)

DC Comics

40. The Multiversity (DC, 2014-2015)

Writer - Grant Morrison

Illustrators - Ivan Reis (The Multiversity #1, The Multiversity #2), Chris Sprouse (The Society of Super-Heroes), Ben Oliver (The Just), Frank Quitely (Pax Americana), Cameron Stewart (Thunderworld Adventures), Paulo Siqueira (Guidebook), Marcus To (Guidebook), Various Artists (Guidebook), Jim Lee (Mastermen), Doug Mahnke (Ultra Comics)

Colourists - Nei Ruffino (The Multiversity #1), Dave McCaig (The Society of Super-Heroes, (Guidebook), Dan Brown (The Just, The Multiversity #2), Nathan Fairbairn (Pax Americana, Thunderworld Adventures), Hi-Fi (Guidebook), Alex Sinclair (Mastermen), Jeromy Cox (Mastermen), David Baron (Ultra Comics), Gabe Eltaeb (Ultra Comics), Blond (The Multiversity #2)

Letterers - Todd Klein (The Multiversity #1, The Multiversity #2), Carlos M. Mangual (The Society of Super-Heroes), Clem Robbins (The Just), Rob Leigh (Pax Americana, (Mastermen), Steve Wands (Thunderworld Adventures, Ultra Comics)

Inkers - Joe Prado (The Multiversity #1, The Multiversity #2), Walden Wong (The Society of Super-Heroes) , Karl Story (The Society of Super-Heroes), Mark Irwin (Mastermen, Ultra Comics), Scott Williams (Mastermen), Jonathan Glapion (Mastermen), Sandra Hope (Mastermen), Christian Alamy (Ultra Comics), Keith Champagne (Ultra Comics), Jamie Mendoza (Ultra Comics, The Multiversity #2), Eber Ferreira (The Multiversity #2)

The following is an excerpt of what I wrote about the The Multiversity on a group list of the strongest comics from 2015's first half on Sound on Sight:

"In a career made up of comics about comics, The Multiversity is perhaps more about comics than anything else Morrison has written; its final issues, Ultra Comics #1 and The Multiversity #2 are so alarmingly meta that the word meta loses all definition, too weak of a word to describe the exact quantity of meta-ness contained within. It’s an overwhelmingly dense love letter to the superhero comic genre. Wait, scratch that. “Love letter” is too small a statement to do this comic justice. The Multiversity is Morrison’s epic poem about why comics matter."

Valiant Comics

39. The Delinquents (Valiant, 2014)

Writers - James Asmus, Fred Van Lente
Artist - Kano
Letterer - Dave Sharpe

Valiant's two funny books about mismatched duos came together briefly for a 4 issue special miniseries in the second half of 2014. To ensure neither team outshone another, the writer of each series, Fred Van Lente (Archer & Armstrong) and James Asmus (Quantum & Woody) teamed up to take on The Delinquents. Fans of either series will be thrilled to see how one of their beloved teams interacts with the other, in a story that's as hysterical and bizarre as one would hope it to be. The immortal Armstrong lived as a hobo in the early 20th century, and is burdened with the task of holding onto the sacred Treasure of the Hobos map ...which is drawn on the surgically removed skin of one man's ass. Armstrong loses half of the map; a century later, Quantum and Woody come into possession of the other half and go about finding the other. This road trip team up/team versus comedy grows increasingly wilder over the four issue run, with artist Kano indulging in all of Asmus' and Van Lente's darkly comic sensibilities. The visual presentation is unlike anything else in the Valiant catalogue, with Kano almost challenging readers to see how they'll respond to his jovial experimentation, as well as himself; in one instance, to see how many panels he can break each page into without ever over crowding the comic (some pages actually contain an astonishing 15-to-16 panels).  It's an aesthetic that's unpredictable and fun and colourful, with the book never repeating panel arrangements and always telling its story in the most visually pleasing manner possible.

DC Comics

38. Batgirl (DC, 2010-2011, #6-24)

Writer - Bryan Q. Miller
Illustrators - Lee Garbett, Talent Caldwell, Pere Perez, Dustin Nguyen, Ramon Bachs
Colourist - Guy Major
Letterers - John J. Hill, Pat Brosseau, Travis Lanham, Sal Cipriano, Dave Sharpe, Carlos M. Mangual
Inkers - Trevor Scott, Jonathan Glapion, Richard Friend, Rodney Ramos, Pere Perez, Walden Wong, Derek Fridolfs

It's tough to argue with Barbara Gordon being the definitive Batgirl, but the Stephanie Brown run as the costumed hero is my favourite Batgirl series. It was cut short after just 2 years in favor of  the New 52 launch, but it's a 2 year run I shall not be forgetting anytime soon. The former solo vigilante Spoiler as well as the former Robin, Stephanie Brown is a 19-year old college freshman taken under Batman's wing and then under Barbara's wing (with Cassandra Cain's seal of approval). Though she technically follows in succession Babs and Cass, Steph is not like them at all, proving more-so to be a successor to characters like Peter Parker, Kitty Pryde and Buffy Summers. Previous Batgirls were the students of Batman, their superheroism in Gotham fitting them like a glove. Stephanie's Batgirl feels a little out of place in Gotham, but that's part of what's so fun about her series. When I first read this comic I jokingly said to my girlfriend that it was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer but set in Gotham City" and those words still ring true. Filled with humorous banter to offset emotional storylines and with a female friendship at its core (Barbara acts as Stephanie's mentor throughout the comic), Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl is one of the standout Bat-family comics in a long time. The Supergirl guest starring issues, in particular, are some of the most enjoyable DC comics I've ever read.

IDW

 

37. Spike (IDW, 2010-2011)
Writer - Brian Lynch
Illustrators - Franco Urru, Nicola Zanni, Stephen Mooney
Colourists - Fabio Mantovani, Andrea Priorini
Letterers - Neil Uyetake, Robbie Robbins

Four years into Buffy and Angel's synchronized comic book seasons, it's hard to remember a time when their canonical comic universes were separate, but alas, that was the status quo for several years (2007-2011). While Buffy and her army of Slayers traveled the globe fighting evil and protecting the Earth, the Angel crew was stuck in an alternate world dystopia following the TV series' apocalyptic ending. Joss Whedon co wrote the canon comic stories for IDW before passing them off to Brian Lynch to be scripted, a collaboration which created arguably the strongest Buffyverse comics (Angel: After the Fall). The shortly lived Spike series didn't have Whedon's direct hand in it, but is still a satisfying close to the Angel&Spike IDW saga. Set after Angel: After the Fall, with the world back to normal after its brief time set in a bubble-world hell, Spike once again becomes the aimless wanderer, finding himself in adventures with Drusilla and Willow (in one of the rare instances that IDW and Dark Horse allowed the universes to connect), with a final arc that leads into Spike's debut into the tail end of Buffy Season Eight. The stories themselves may not be entirely memorable, but Lynch's writing and Franco Urru's drawings definitely are. There's never been a more accurate-to-character writer of Spike dialogue in comics than Lynch and Urru's depictions of Angel&Spike's world may not have been the most faithful to actor likeness we've ever seen, but his aesthetic created an intoxicating world, his issues the most gorgeous of the all the Angel&Spike IDW comics. It's a deep shame we'll never get to see another Brian Lynch/Franco Urru Angel/Spike comic, as Urru tragically passed away a couple years ago.

Image Comics

 

36. Alex + Ada (Image, 2013-2015)

Writers - Sarah Vaughn, Jonathan Luna
Illustrator - Jonathan Luna
Colourist - Jonathan Luna
Letterer - Jonathan Luna

Alex + Ada published its 15th and final issue this week, but I'll be honest: I haven't read any of the final 5 issues yet, this being one of my wait-to-trade comics (I probably won't read #11-15 until this August). I've read fantastic things about the final arc, so it's likely this comic would be higher up on the list had I read it in time. This is a comic that evokes the moods and science fiction technology seen in Blade Runner and Her, but comparisons stop after the loosest of connections; Alex + Ada is a unique world, where non-sentient androids are common place in society, with functions ranging from house-servants to sexual-partners. What's interesting about this, is that all androids were originally created with sentience, but after a violent revolt occurred years ago after one sentient android turned violent on humans, the government installed a sentience-blocker on all androids. To remove the blocker is possible, but highly illegal. Alex + Ada is emotionally dense with an unconventionally plotted story, never becoming the comic you expect - or want - it to be. Jumping modes (and genre) with regularity, it's a pulse thumping drama that wears you down and keeps you asking for more. Now that I think about it, I have no idea if I'll be able to hold out until Volume 3 is published.