Not to give away the list before you read it, but this is the first time doing these top tens that not one book from the big two made the cut  Even if I were to expand this to include honorable mentions books like Ascender #1, The Avant-Guards #4, and Dark Red #2 would make the cut before a Marvel or DC book. Now that is not said to disparage either company as I personally believe both have a number of fantastic series out right now as these lists have demonstrated. Moreso it is a testament to how strong indie comics are at the moment. The depth of books to choose from continues to grow with each passing week.
As always this list may differ from other reviews on the site as it is based solely on my opinion. Now onto the countdown…
Writer: Bobby Curnow
Artist: Simon Gane
Publisher: IDW
Description: Seeking a refuge from an unhappy life, Brandt returns to his ancestral home in Japan to find a haunted tree and the departed souls that are drawn to it, including his Grandfather. Brandt attempts to heal some of history’s wounds but will he be able to find any measure of peace for himself when someone special from his past returns?
Why it Made the List: Every year IDW tends to surprise me with an original character based series that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Last year it was The Highest House and this year it appears Ghost Tree is set to take up that mantle. This reminded me of watching the opening of a  Hayao Miyazaki as we enter this magical world that takes place in what otherwise seems mundane. It was able to introduce its concept without getting caught up in the minute details instead it focused on the characters which allowed for a stronger emotional anchor. Simon Gane“s artwork also adds a unique feel with such well-expressed textures and expressive characters.
Writer: Alex Paknadel
Artist: Diego Galindo
Publisher: Lion Forge Comics
Description: A standoff between the Italian navy and a migrant vessel seeking refuge leaves Meath in conflict with his patriotic duty, and Spode has no patience for a hero that won’t play his carefully scripted part.
Why it Made the List: Before reading this issue I never read any of the Lion Forge Catalyst Prime comics. There are so many comics out there and I tend to get my fill with superheroes with the big two so it has limited my interest in reading these books. Seeing this was the start of the new arc and it was being written by Alex Paknadel I wanted to give it a shot. I have enjoyed his work on Friendo and wanted to see what he could do with superheroes. Right from the start what was noticeably different with this compared to other superhero stories is how global this felt. Â Dealing with conflicts and issues such as the refugee crisis in Euproe through the framework of a superhero story. The only downside is now I have another comic universe to catch up with and follow. In the end, it is a good problem to have.
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Raul Allen
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Description: As the armies of Dryfleet, Thundervale, and Ridgetown converge, the former bard Hum may be the only thing standing in the way of a new apocalypse.
Why it Made the List: Simon Spurrier has a way to a weaving a fantasy tales with massive worlds that play with many of the common concepts and tropes of the genre. He is one of the few fantasy writers that can make epics that are not just harkening back to what Tolkien designed so many eons ago. This issue also included one of the biggest surprises of the series thus far as a major character is dealt a major blow that makes one wonder where exactly can they go now. It was a huge turning point that completely changes where this story was headed. Also, the meta element of this series is a nice little wrinkle to set it apart from similar Spurrier stories. Using actual literary terminology as figurative weapons is a nice little touch. With one issue of this series left it has set itself up for a thrilling conclusion. I will miss the world Raul Allen has designed here. His character designs Also worth pointing what MatÃas Bergara has contributed as well as the Eisner Nomination that was announced this week is clearly well deserved. Â
Writer: Jade Lagardère
Artist: Butch Guice
Publisher: IDW
Description: Amber Blake is a top recruit at a covert agency deadset on ending human slavery in all of its forms-and eliminating the criminals behind it. Now she and her partner Matt are deployed on their first mission-the sabotage of a sex trafficking ring run by the yakuza in Japan-but they might not be prepared for the monsters they’ll have to face.
Why it Made the List: (Full Review) When doing reviews or putting this list together one thing I never consider is the price of an issue. I know it can be a hot topic for some, but in my opinion prices of comics can fluctuate the content will remain the same. With that said it is worth point out that IDW is putting out Amber Black in the oversized magazine format for typical cover price. As someone who typically reads digitally, I have to say this reads so much better as a physical comic. Â Butch Guice“s art jumps off the page with his fine detail and fantastic panel designs. So far this has reminded me a lot of a show like Alias as it focuses on a female agent entering into an undercover world. It makes for a cinematic experience in the comic book world.
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Publisher: Image Comics
Description: A breathtaking single-issue story finds Ricky Lawless caught in the grip of violence and double-cross after a robbery. As always, CRIMINAL contains back page art and articles only found in the single issues.
Why it Made the List: One of the best things about Criminal is how you really have no idea what to expect with each issue. Since issue two Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have shown they will stop one story right when you think it is taking off in order to start something new. This issue focused on Ricky Lawless who is as much of the main protagonist this series has had so far. Â He defines what it means to be self-destructive as even when he is trying to fix a problem all he can seemingly do is make things worse. Brubaker is great at writer characters like this. Those aimless souls that do nothing but create chaos around them despite their best efforts. They may do bad things, and they may even be bad people–but they are never boring to read about.Â
Writer: David Barnett
Artist: Martin Simmonds
Publisher: Black Crown
Description: In northern England, Fergie“s mom Julie gets a fatal blow-while in London, Sid and Fergie”¦ hit the pub? Plus, we take a trip back to 2002 to learn the true story of why Fergie“s father disappeared, and how super spy Dorothy Culpepper was involved. Hint: it“s basically all her fault!
Why it Made the List: When reading Punks Not Dead: London Calling I anticipate each page turn to see what Martin Simmonds will do with his page layouts. He is breaking all the rules when it comes to paneling as often he will remove it altogether to use the design of the scene itself to move the reader’s eye from one moment to the next. One of my favorite images this issue was this massive zoom in to a face so these giant eyes took up nearly the entire panel. Then in silhouette, a crowd is woven underneath to represent the presence that was felt within that moment. My favorite types of artists are those that continuously find ways to surprise me with each issue hey draw. With his work on this series, Martin Simmonds has turned into one of those types of artists for me.
Writer: Joe Henderson
Artist: Lee Garbett
Publisher: Image Comics
Description: “FIX THE WORLD,”“ Part Two Still reeling from the last issue“s shocking discovery, Willa learns what really happened on G-day. See that terrible day from a very different perspective as we follow an untold story of loss, struggle, and perseverance. ALSO: someone gets a dog.
Why it Made the List: Death in comics has long become meaningless due to how many characters come back to life time and time again. That is usually reserved for superhero comics though so when an indie book like Skyward has a character come back once thought dead it does still seem odd. Ultimately it works because this character being alive makes for a better story. This ”˜Fix the World“ arc is expanding upon a concept that was already strong enough by adjusting what the main threat to these characters surviving. Now instead of seeking safety, it is achieved, but once achieved how far will they have to go to maintain it? There are a lot of intriguing dilemmas here to explore in the upcoming issues.
Writer: Ryan O’Sullivan
Artist: Andrea Mutti
Publisher: Vault
Description: In the final issue, Henry Henry shows his true colours as he-I promised myself I would not interject again, but alas I must: ‘True colours’?! Really?! I appreciate it is only marketing copy, but must the closing chapter of my opus be marred with such overwrought cliche? At least pretend to care. -HH
Why it Made the List: Never have I read a comic or anything for that matter that actively insults me as a reader and my response is to do nothing but enjoy it. The use of the meta-narrative appeared dried out of originality by this point, yet Ryan O’Sullivan and Andrea Mutti found a way to tell a compelling story about the need to tell compelling stories while commenting on that compelling story as well as providing commentary to the reader“s reactions to its own deconstruction of the literary design it was fabricating. Got that? Good. Me either…fully. Yet somehow it still all works. Somehow it is able to be at the peak of convoluted storytelling while being directly straightforward. Considering all this I do not doubt my enjoyment will only increase on each reread as you catch more and more that may have been missed on a first go through.
Writer: Zac Thompson
Artist: Arjuna Susini
Publisher: Aftershock
Description: The 1990’s. Tragedy strikes the Beharrell family in the form of a debilitating stroke. Now the youngest child in the family is convinced his paralyzed father didn’t truly fall ill but is pos-sessed by something sinister. He believes a demon, THE REPLACER, has come to take away his jolly, agreeable, tech-obsessed Dad. But no one seems to see the monster – and with every passing day, his father falls deeper into the clutches of evil.
Why it Made the List: Some may argue this does not belong on this list because it is a one-shot novella and not an installment of a monthly series. I included it for a multitude of reasons. For one it was released just like any other single in a normal format just with more pages. I have included Detective Comics #1000 and War of the Realms that are nearly just as long or even longer. Mostly I included it because my biggest goal with these lists is to shine a light on series that deserve attention, and despite this only being a single issue it deserves a great deal of attention. I did not read the description of this story before I read it but it was clear this was coming from a real place of grief as well as guilt. Now knowing this is inspired by Zac Thompson“s own personal journey of coming to terms with his disable parent everything makes sense. What sticks with me most is the opening scene where we see a dad and son trying to share a moment together by making the nearly impossible decision of choosing what movie to watch. It was a tender moment that made everything that followed that much more important. I was not scared of the monsters hiding in the shadows. I was scared that a son was losing the father he so loves. For me, nothing could be scarier.
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Vittorio Astone
Publisher: Vault Comics
Description: Love finds Maxwell Maas! But death is close behind! What part do I, Fungi, Ra-Man, and Baton Rogue play? Also: Billy Bob Thorton, Erasmus Darwin, and the secret origins of barns!
Why it Made the List: Speaking of picks some may take issue with we come to the number one selection this week Maxwell Demon“s #4 & #5. Yes, this series ended with a special issue that combined the final two installments. It does work as a single unit due to the different sides it shows for Maxxwell. Where issue four shows a younger Max who has a level of vulnerability the final issue is him lost within his own complicated logic. If I were to pick which issue is better or more deserving of this top spot it would be issue five. For one it was one of the best uses of the nine-panel grid I have seen in some time. There was a purpose to it behind attempting to homage Watchmen or classic comics. It directly relates to the story at hand and oddly enough a tic tac toe board. Trust me it was the most sophisticated use of tic tac toe since War Games–better even. How ”˜X“ and ”˜O“ imagery within each panel correlates with the flow of the story was rather brilliant. What is also great about these two issues is that you can pick either up and appreciate each without reading any prior issues. If by the end you end up enjoying this book as much as I did go back and read what came before and notice how many small details with the imagery ques hint at what is to come. There were some effective uses of foreshadowing that set up this excellent conclusion.
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- A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.
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