2013 was a pretty dang good year for comics, and it was also the first year where I was subscribed to a pull list so I could keep up with the titles I was really invested in. (Forbidden Planet, my wallet hates you but my heart loves you. Alas, a tragedy for the ages.)
After countless hours of consideration and rethinking, I present in reverse order the top five comics I personally enjoyed the most during the course of the year.
#5: The Winter Soldier, by Ed Brubaker and later Jason Latour
Ed Brubaker’s passion for the crime genre is certainly evident in his run of The Winter Soldier, which takes up the first 14 issues. In fact, it was his writing of the Winter Soldier that warmed me up to the character, and when Jason Latour took over the title for issues 15 through 19, he cemented it in place.
I’ve never been big on spy genre anything but the Winter Soldier’s character and his relationships with the people around him were so engrossing that the genre didn’t even matter in the end. The Winter Soldier’s one of the most compelling characters I’ve read in awhile, and that’s all thanks to the writing by Brubaker and Latour. He’s complex, multilayered, and troubled, and while the plot of the comics did have a few hiccups along the way, this really was a great title to keep up with; I was sad when it concluded back in August
But hey, at least there’s a movie coming in April 2014, wink wink.
#4: Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction
Dude. Duuuuude. I don’t even know where to begin with Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye. Do I start by talking about how brilliantly characterized Clint Barton is? Do I talk about David Aja’s instantly recognizable and trademark art style for this title? Do I talk about the flawless inclusion of Kate Bishop? Do I talk about the fact that Pizza Dog got an entire issue to himself? Or do I just say that all of the above combined make a sufficient enough argument as to why Hawkeye lands in my Top 5 of the year?
It’s a fun title to read and every issue is as entertaining as the last; while I’m certainly a sucker for dark stories, and while Hawkeye does sport a few darker moments, it’s nice to have a great time reading a comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
#3: Infinity, by Jonathan Hickman
Can I count the large-scale company-wide Infinity event as a comic? Sure I can: it’s my column. Regardless of whether or not this is an unpopular opinion, I loved Infinity. Usually titles featuring a huge number of characters alienate me because I start to lose track of who’s doing what and who’s where, but Hickman handled everyone’s placement in the universe of this title with ease. The sub-plots tied up nicely and the tension build up certainly paid off with the conclusion in Infinity #6; I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t shed a tear or two during a few narrative moments. And I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the phenomenal job that Jim Cheung and Dustin Weaver did with the artwork; every issue was explosive and visually astonishing.
#2: Captain Marvel, by Kelly Sue Deconnick
I picked up the first issue of the current run of Captain Marvel at my hometown comic store on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. While I certainly don’t mind getting my fair share of testosterone-addled adventure every week, Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel is fantastic proof that hey, girls can play this game too.
With great writing from Deconnick and stunning artwork by Dexter Soy, Emma Rios, and Filipe Andrade, Captain Marvel is a title I look forward to every month and I’m always itching to read what’s next for Carol. I’m pretty sure I cried during a recent issue of this title too. What is with these characters making me teary-eyed lately?
#1: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
Oh man, I reviewed the first trade paperback volume of Saga back in October, and as soon as I received the ‘ok’ to write this list, I knew this would be number one. The forbidden romance between two members of warring species. The action and grand-scale adventure. The space travel and bloodshed. The racism between worlds. The vibrant characters. The detailed world-building. Alana and Marko’s saga (pun sort of intended) had me hooked from the very beginning, and thanks to Fiona Staples’s artwork every issue is bursting with color and richness the likes of which you can’t find in a Crayola factory.
While the last few issues have been a little slower than usual, they’re no less enjoyable than the ones before it, and it certainly hasn’t lost my interest. If you haven’t picked up an issue of Saga yet, what are you doing still reading this? Where’s your nearest comic book store? Hurry!
(In all seriousness, if any of these titles have piqued your interest and/or you’re just looking to browse the shelves in general but you’re not sure if there’s a store near you, check out this nifty comic book store locater!)
Gabby Taub, the Fantasy Reviewer at Girls in Capes, is a senior at New York University studying creative writing. She enjoys reading, writing, watching TV, and spending time getting lost among the bookshelves at Strand Bookstore.
