50 Best Comics of the Decade (2010-2015) Thus Far: Part 4 (#35-31)

Valiant Comics

35. Quantum and Woody (Valiant, 2013-2015, #0-12, Valiant-Sized Quantum and Woody #1, Quantum and Woody Must Die #1-4)

Writers - James Asmus, Tim Siedell (Valiant-Sized One Shot)
Illustrators - Tom Fowler, Ming Doyle, Kano, Wilfredo Torres, Erica Henderson, Joe Cooper, Pere Perez, Steve Lieber
Colourists - Jordie Bellaire, Allen Passalaqua, Wil Quintana, Dave McCaig
Letterers - Dave Lanphear

Quantum and Woody is something of an anomaly in the Valiant library. Not a part of the original Valiant universe, they weren't created until the late '90s during the reviled era set up after video game company Acclaim bought out Valiant and relaunched the entire universe with game-esque comics that they could use as launching points for actual console games. Christopher Priest and Mark Bright accomplished the impossible by actually making a beloved comic under these dubious conditions, the only Acclaim-era Valiant book anyone talks about with any fondness. Even still, the launch of this new series was met with some scoffing; original fans who felt that maybe these characters didn't belong in Valiant, that it was distinctly too creator-oriented to fit in with the rest of the universe. James Asmus' take on the mismatched duo, the World's Worst Superheroes, quickly shut up any doubters, and has been on-again off-again writing the funniest comic of Valiant's current era. Asmus' interpretation has a love and respect of Priest's series, remaining structurally and tonally similar, the biggest difference between the two being visual. Of course, there's no carried over continuity, and as with all new Valiant, Quantum and Woody is accessible to all readers.

Quantum and Woody are long-estranged-but-recently-reunited brothers who (for comic book-y reasons) have to clang their wrist bracelets together once every 24 hours otherwise they'll explode, which forces the bickering siblings into frequent contact. Realizing they also possess super human abilities, they try their hand in becoming superheroes. Unfortunately, they're piss poor at accomplishing anything heroic, causing a wave of mayhem wherever they go; their victories usually accidental or sheer luck. It's a gloriously open ended concept, and it's never afraid of going to some bizarre places. Also, they have a "pet" pregnant goat that (for comic book-y reasons) is actually their dead father whose mind has been transferred into the animal ...and it possesses magical powers of its own.

Marvel Comics

34. Black Widow (Marvel, 2014-2015)

Writer- Nathan Edmondson
Artist - Phil Noto
Letterer - Clayton Cowles

Marvel's recent wave of female starring comics is an admirable attempt at creating books catered to female readers just as much male. A Black Widow series made sense, given her mainstream exposure in the MCU film series. Ending next month with its 20th issue, Black Widow is one of the longest running Marvel female-comics in recent years, and the longest solo Black Widow comic to ever exist. Not broken into story arcs so much as it tells one loose, ongoing narrative, it follows Natasha's return to spy work, after stepping down from Avenging and super-heroics. She gets thrown into conspiracy after conspiracy, which grow progressively complex and despite being in way over her head, she's a character who never loses her agency. It's a strongly written story by Nathan Edmondson, and Phil Noto's artwork makes Black Widow a visual knockout to match. Previously a covers-only artist, Noto's paintings have graced many covers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine (2012-2013) and Birds of Prey (2001-2004), and you've probably seen his variants as well. One of the most frame-able artists working in comics, Noto's transition from covers into interior was startlingly seamless. The increased workload of having to do 20-22 pages monthly instead of "just" a handful of covers has not decreased his quality in work at all, and reading Black Widow is like getting many great Noto covers per month (along with the actual covers for this series, which he also creates). His compositions and colouring are just as glorious in interiors, and it turns out he has an eye for paneling as well. That this book has never been delayed in its 20 months or required a fill-in artist at any point says a lot about about the work ethic of one of the medium's great visionaries today.

Dark Horse Comics

33. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine (Dark Horse, 2011-2012, #1-7)

Writers - Joss Whedon (#1), Andrew Chambliss (#2-7)
Illustrators - Georges Jeanty (#1-4, 6-7), Karl Moline (#5)
Colourist - Michelle Madsen
Letterers - Richard Starkings, Jimmy Betancourt
Inkers - Dexter Vines, Andy Owens, Karl Story
Executive Producer - Joss Whedon

I wrote some critical words about Buffy's Ninth Season in a blog entry a couple months back and I do feel that as a whole, it's not a strong season of Buffy. This is another one of my cheat entries where I'll highlight just a specific set of issues, in this case #1-7. After the cosmically huge and confusing Season Eight endgame, Season Nine's opening seven issues was a perfect return-to-form and the biggest relief I felt reading Buffy comics up to that point. "Freefall", "Slayer, Interrupted" and "On Your Own" is a more character-driven run of stories than any in Seasons Seven and Eight. It's very Season Six, though without all the doom and gloom. "Slayer, Interrupted" and "On Your Own" is arguably the greatest storyline in all of Buffy comics, or at least, it could/should have been; the ultimate what-if. Buffy's pregnancy, and decision to get an abortion. It was big. It was real. It was important. In a media culture that fears abortion narratives (seriously: just think of all the times in a TV series that a character has become pregnant, usually unexpectedly so, or somebody underage, or a pregnancy being an unwanted occurrence. Now, how many of those actually discussed abortion as genuine possibility?), this is a narrative we need more of. Then robots happened, sucked all the good out of this story and Season Nine, and I couldn't embrace Buffy again until the start of Season 10, two years later.

Marvel Comics

32. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Marvel, 2015)

Writer - Ryan North
Illustrator - Erica Henderson
Colourist - Rico Renzi
Letterer - Clayton Cowles

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is to superhero comics what Gremlins 2 is to horror movies (and movie sequels). It's farce, deconstruction, critique, homage, meta-narrative but doesn't push the genre away to the point where it can't also embrace it. This is unquestionably a superhero comic, and it's more than happy to inhabit this genre. It also takes a jackhammer to superhero fiction, tearing it apart bit by bit, retaining and molding the elements it admires while discarding others. This is probably not a book for those who demand their heroes be "dark and gritty" (Nolan/Snyder-style), or super duper serious (Frank Miller-Batman). It also throws up its proverbial middle fingers Stone Cold Steve Austin-style to the holy grail concept of superhero comics: continuity. In The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Squirrel Girl is pretty much the most powerful being on the planet (and maybe even the cosmos). She can beat up Thanos without breaking a sweat, has access to Tony Stark's secret weapon compartments, and can settle any dispute with a villain just by talking to them, even if said villain happens to be Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. This comic has a deep knowledge of Marvel's past and uses it entirely for mischief. I never thought I would ever compare a comic book writer to the cinema genius Joe Dante, but after this comic, I see a connection between Dante and Ryan North. With them, chaos has never been so much fun. And how perfect are Erica Henderson's illustrations? Like an old school Saturday morning cartoon, but y'know, not terribly animated, and with diverse and realistic body types!

BOOM! Studios

31. Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake (BOOM! Studios, 2013)

Writer and Artist - Natasha Allegri
Letterer - Britt Wilson

Natashi Allegri, creator of all things cute (Fionna and Cake, Bee and Puppycat), writes and draws the six issue miniseries that fleshes out the gender-swapped Adventure Time universe she introduced in a season three episode. To date, there have only been a couple excursions into gender-swapverse in the show, but perhaps none as pleasing as this comic. This alternate universe is almost too good, with a 10-minute episode every couple years too much of a tease for something which actually is brimming with storytelling potential. This world is entirely Allegri's, and for 120 mind bogglingly attractive pages we get an alternate take on Adventure Time that's just as deserving of being its own franchise. What's important to note about Fionna and Cake (and Prince Bubblegum and Marshall Lee and Ice Queen) is that they don't act like their original characters only gender swapped; they're distinctly different people. Fionna and Cake are a little older and more mature than Finn and Jake; more adult and sexually aware. The innuendos and romantic intrigue set them apart from their boy versions. The comic looks like Adventure Time, but through a different filter than the show's ever adopted. Natasha Allegri's version of the series is a lot more anime (particularly Sailor Moon) influenced than it is with any other artist, with an aesthetic closer to Bee and Puppycat and Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe (which shares much of the same anime influence) than its parent show. Allegri's illustrations are expressive, manic, unpredictably arranged, and almost too big for the pages to contain them; every panel is fighting for attention. Nothing about Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake is ordinary. Even Britt Wilson's letters and word balloons are playfully inserted, molding themselves around the action, expanding to comical sizes when the situation demands. This comic doesn't play by the conventions of American comic books, sometimes adopting a manga sensibility, sometimes combining AT's western and eastern influences, but it's always the brain child of Natasha Allegri, who has created such an auteur driven work within this established franchise.