Last year saw a lot of good comics come out and a lot of old ones making waves in the scene. I am anything but a full-blown comic nerd, but a good comic is a good comic. For this list we’re going to stay away from the usual superhero comic, but instead explore the rich world that other genres of graphic novels and comics can spin. Here’s our list of the 4 best graphic novels and comics of 2014:
Uhm… duh! Of course Saga is on this list. It has consistently been a rich and beautifully created comic since coming out. This year is no different. Thanks to the beautifully woven story by Brian K. Vaughan, you’re pulled into the wonderful story of star-crossed lovers fighting to stay alive in a universe that wants them dead. Each character is not only beautifully drawn but wonderfully intricate thanks to Fiona Staples. I am still blown away by the Brand, members of Circuit and even the robot people. Can’t wait for the next issue!
Hands up if you love Scott Pilgrim. Yep, so did I! I mean, how do you follow that success? But Bryan Lee O’Malley sure blew it out of the ballpark with his ‘second’ book, Seconds. I do believe that it could possibly be even better than Scott Pilgrim. Where Scott Pilgrim dealt with decidedly ‘20s issues’, Seconds deals with things that might be considered more ‘30s’. Katie has to deal with opening a restaurant while trying to juggle her messy personal life. Of course she does this by eating magical mushrooms she finds in her dresser. Intrigued yet? Of course you are.
What if time literally stood still every time you had an orgasm? What would you do? What any sane person would, rob banks. Am I right? Well that is the premise of this weird and yet funny novel by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. I know, it sounds insane and you’re probably thinking how are they going to pull it off, but they do. In Sex Criminals, we follow Jon and Suzie, who realize that they have the same ‘condition’: When they orgasm, time freezes until they’re ready to ‘go’ again. So of course they decided to rob banks. Because that’s totally what I would do, right? Either way, where they once thought they were ‘alone’ in this, they realize that there are others like them. So weird and awesome.
Every 90 years 12 gods are reincarnated as ordinary people who then turn into pop stars or artists. In the 20s they became flappers and philosophers but in this day and age, they have come as tween pop stars. I mean with a premise like that you can’t not read The Wicked + The Divine. While it might sound like it’s something for the young adult, it’s a topic that everyone can relate to – we’ve all been young once and keen to leave our mark in the world, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson and Kieron Gillen work well together creating a gorgeous, gutsy and urgent comic.
What are some comics that you enjoyed in 2014?
