Readers’ Poll: The Top Ten Comic Books of the Last Six Years
The medium of comic books has not lost a step. Here are my contenders for best comic book or graphic novel of the last six years. These books could be stacked against almost any other top-ten from a consecutive six years in the history of the art form (unless the stretch included 1966 in Japan, 1976 in France, or 1986 in America!)
As a creator, I want to acknowledge my debts. My work is a product of all of the comics (and films and novels and poems) I love. These are great works by the masters currently working in the medium.
I am extremely lucky to live between two of the greatest comic book stores in the country: Fantom Comics and Big Planet Comics! I also frequent two stellar bookstores in my neighborhood—Lost City and Second Story—both of which have a great selection of graphic novels. Almost everything you see above I picked up at one of those spots. DC rocks!
Caveat lector: I have been too busy making comics to pick up Monica. I may need to add an update in the future. And sadly, DC does not have a Books Kinokuniya, so I am positive I have left off some killer alternative manga. I also only have digital copies of Daniel Warren Johnson’s stuff at this point: that’s why his books are missing from the photo above. Here’s a sample instead:
So here is my personal list, in no particular order, of the Top Ten Comics I Have Read in 2018-2023:
Ultramega by James Harren with color by Dave Stewart
Rusty Brown by Chris Ware
Metax by Antoine Cossé
One Beautiful Spring Day by Jim Woodring
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
Night Hunters art by Alexis Ziritt and writing by Dave Baker
Tongues by Anders Nilsen
anything by Gabriel Walta, including Phantom Road and Sentient (the former with color by Jordie Bellaire—you could certainly assemble a top ten from only books she worked on)
anything by Tradd Moore, including Silver Surfer Black and Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise (the former also with color by Dave Stewart; the latter with color by Heather Moore)
anything by Daniel Warren Johnson, including Wonder Woman: Dead Earth and Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star, both of which have color by Mike Spicer); non-hypothetical question: is Transformers the top-selling book in America because it is Transformers, or because it is DDubs?
Please share in the comments your own personal top ten comic books of the last six years. There is an abundance of riches out there: personal recommendations beat algorithms any day! Also feel free to share any thoughts on the selections above.
Thank you for your participation in advance!
Book cover photo by Josiah Leighton. Art from Wonder Woman: Dead Earth by Daniel Warren Johnson, color by Mike Spicer, published by DC Comics. Wonder Woman is trademark and copyright of DC Comics.