T H E
T E M P E S T
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B E S T
C O M I C S :
I D W
-THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: The Tempest, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (Top Shelf/IDW) _______ ⇧
Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's swan song... for the series, and for their comics careers.
The wink in the cover design to Classics Illustrated should give a clue. This six-issue series is as complex as Pynchon, as subversive as Joyce, as interlaced as Farmer. Gradually, the saga of the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen has become the story of one extraordinary woman, the indomitable Mina Murray. And, through the concept that all literature was a true interconnected history, it has woven together the sources of everything we enjoy into a new way of seeing them.
Read, Think, Create.
- LOEG 1
- LOEG 2
- LOEG: The Black Dossier
- LOEG 3: Century
- LOEG: The Nemo Trilogy
- LOEG 4: The Tempest
> THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Pop Culture
-GHOSTBUSTERS: Answer The Call, by Kelly Thompson and Corin Howell _______
Along with their crossover comics series in which all versions of Ghostbusters (from live to cartoon) met, IDW also did this series starring the women from the 2016 film.
I M A G E
-SAGA, by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan _______ ⇧
Contemporary comics' consistently finest series went on a year hiatus after issue #54.
-PAPER GIRLS, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang _______ ⇧
Contemporary comics' consistently most complex series only enriches with time.
-SLEEPLESS, by Sarah Vaughn and Leila Del Duca _______
A rethinking of Fantasy and Romance idioms.
-BITTER ROOT, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene _______
The '20s Harlem Renaissance vs. arcane forces (and family quarrels).
-INFIDEL, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell _______
A horror allegory where a building feeding off of bigotry plagues the immigrants who live there.
-PRISM STALKER, by Sloane Leong _______
Like Octavia Butler writing 'Sailor Moon' .
-THE NEW WORLD, by Aleš Kot and Tradd Moore _______
After the USA's Second Civil War, two opponents screw up the program by falling in love.
-BLACKBIRD, by Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel _______
A neon-noir L.A. Occult mystery.
-SKYWARD, by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett _______
Class wars, science intrigue, and zero gravity.
-HEY KIDS! COMICS!, by Howard Chaykin _______
Howard Chaykin's loving (while unvarnished) homage to the history of the comics industry.
-MONSTRESS, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda _______
Best-selling author Marjorie Liu's Gothic Fantasy, with stunning art by Sana Takeda.
-THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie _______
Life and death and lifestyles of the rich and infamous.
Creator-owned series have the benefit of taking their stories to a definite endpoint. These stalwarts bowed out this year.
-SEX CRIMINALS, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky _______ ⇧
The climactic five issues. >
-DESCENDER, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen _______
The concluding seven issues. Indiana Croft.
The sequel series Ascender follows.
-BLACK SCIENCE, by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, and Dean White _______
The concluding eight issues. Dare all pretensions in parallel dimensions.
-BLACK CLOUD, by Jason Latour, Ivan Brandon, and Greg Hinkle _______
10-issue series concludes.
M A R V E L
-AMERICA, by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, and Ramon Villalobos _______ ⇧
Latter end of 10-issue maxi-series.
America Chavez, amazon luchadora immigrating from another dimension, represents the best ideals of the country she's named for!
Fascists and bigots, begone!
-THE MIGHTY THOR, by Jason Aaron And Russell Dauterman _______ ⇧
Jane.
The death of the mighty Thor.
-MS. MARVEL, by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon _______
Embiggen your mind.
-THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, by Ryan North, Erica Henderson, and Derek Charm _______
Fight the sour! Un-glower to the People! Go, nuts!
-SPIDER-GWEN, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez _______
Does whatever a spider can.
-RISE OF THE BLACK PANTHER, by Evan Narcisse and Paul Renaud _______
A skillful streamlining of his Origin.
-BLACK PANTHER, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuna _______
Bestselling author Coates relaunches the title from #1, continuing his golden run.
-SHURI, by Nnedi Okorafor and Leonardo Romero _______
T'Challa's sister, who once wore the mantle of Black Panther, breaks free into her own series.
-JESSICA JONES, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos _______
It's the dialogue.
During 2018, after nearly two decades of course-correcting Marvel Comics and blueprinting all of the Netflix shows, Bendis moved to DC.
-DOCTOR STRANGE, by Mark Waid and Jesus Saiz _______
"And Doctor Strange is always changing size."
-BLACK BOLT, by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward _______
Any excuse to enjoy Christian Ward's psychedelic art is a valid one.
-LEGION, by Peter Milligan and Wilfredo Torres _______
With the radical TV series attaining new levels of quality, this 5-issue mini-series returns the troubled psionic to the page.
W A R S
Marvel is doing a splendid job making movies between the movies.
-STAR WARS, by Jason Aaron and Stuart Immonen, + _______
The flagship title covers the Rebel side of events during the period between A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.
-DARTH VADER: Dark Lord of the Sith*, by
Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli _______
This second VADER series covers his emergence immediately after REVENGE OF THE SITH.
*(They don't include the subtitle on the cover, causing great confusion with the previous 25-issue DARTH VADER series, set later.)
-STAR WARS: Doctor Aphra, by Kieron Gillen, Emilio Laiso, and Kev Walker _______ ⇧
The inverse Indiana Jones, the bizarro Han Solo, continues to crash the party and take your lover.
-STAR WARS: Poe Dameron, by Charles Soule and Angel Unzueta _______
This fun series continually brought depth to the pilot and his squadron, fleshing out the events leading up to THE FORCE AWAKENS until its conclusion with issue #31.
-STAR WARS: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi— CAPTAIN PHASMA, by Kelly Thompson and Marco Checchetto
A one-shot which explains events for her between THE FORCE AWAKENS and THE LAST JEDI.
D C
- WATCHMEN (1986) is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, with color by John Higgins.
- They are the sole creators of this original saga, despite a copyright swindle by the publisher.
- This is a self-contained story, period.
- Any other "before" or "after" supplements, "crossover integrations", or "screen extensions" are a complete fraud perpetrated by the greedy and supported by the foolish.
This also applies to all ABC Comics characters misappropriated and franchised. The Corporation didn't create it, they don't ethically "own" it, and their appropriation is just irrelevant exploitation.
(See also: Siegel and Shuster; Bill Finger; Fawcett Comics,...)
V E R T I G O
Forget the corporation, support the creators.
-ASTRO CITY, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, + Alex Ross _______
Only two issues and a hiatus, but hey, it's Astro City!
-DEATHBED, by Joshua Williams and Riley Rossmo _______
Hallucinogenic six-issue series about a mysterious adventurer reaching zenith.
Y O U N G
A N I M A L
Forget the corporation, support the creators.
Gerard (My Chemical Romance) Way's imprint, rechanneling the spirit of early '90s Vertigo Comics.
-SHADE, THE CHANGING WOMAN, by Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone _______
The twelve issue Girl book was followed by this six-issue mini-series.
Meta-Zone, Mensa-mad, mega-rad!
-DOOM PATROL, by Gerard Way and Nick Derington _______
Like the other shoe dropping for Grant Morrison's '90s storied run.
-ETERNITY GIRL, by Magdalene Vissagio and Sonny Liew _______ ⇧
What if your best solution is the worst outcome for all?
-CAVE CARSON HAS AN INTERSTELLAR EYE, by Jon Rivera and Michael Avon Oeming _______
The 12-issue Cybernetic Eye book was followed by this six-issue series for the cosmic explorer.
D A R K
H O R S E
-BLACK HAMMER: Age Of Doom, by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston _______
Black Hammer, Lemire's alt-universe parallel to Kingdom Come, ran 13 issues, and was followed up after their 'Crisis' event with this sequel book.
-BLACK HAMMER: The Quantum Age, by Jeff Lemire and Wilfredo Torres _______
A six-issue spin-off of the Black Hammer series.
-ETHER: The Copper Golems, by Matt Kindt and David Rubín _______
A five-issue sequel to Ether, continuing the adventurer caught betwixt science and fantasy.
-AMERICAN GODS: My Ainsel, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton _______
The second arc in their adaptation of Gaiman's book, concurrent with an excellent TV series version.
Art by Martin Morazzo.
In a just universe, Karen Berger would be the one running DC Comics instead of the Corps and the Ballcaps.
Berger edited Alan Moore's Swamp Thing (1984-'87) as he completely upended the comics industry. When that maturity reached an adult level well past the mainstream DC hero books, she ushered in their 'New Format' titles that would morph into Vertigo Comics (1993). Her adult imprint, thriving in the Direct Sales comics shops, brought us Gaiman's Sandman and The Books of Magic (well before Harry Potter); Morrison's Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and The Invisibles; Delano's Hellblazer; and Milligan's Shade, The Changing Man. This grew across 20 years to include Preacher, Lucifer, A History of Violence, 100 Bullets, Fables, Vamps, Y: The Last Man, and The Unwritten. While the '90s mainstream lost much of what made the '80s Revolution so mature, she created a legacy that is beyond compare, still influencing the best work on the page and the screen.
She's back now to show you how it's done right with the imprint Berger Books, distrubuted by Dark Horse.
-LAGUARDIA, by Nnendi Okorafor and Tana Ford _______
Acclaimed Afrofuturist writer Nnendi Okorafor (BINTI, AKATA WITCH) challenges xenophobia with this allegory of interstellar immigrants facing discrimination in NYC.
-THE SEEDS, by Ann Nocenti and David Aja _______
Childhood's End from another angle in a four-issue series.
-SHE COULD FLY, by Christopher Cantwell and Martin Morazzo _______ ⇧
A four-issue series about the mystery left in the wake of a Flying Woman.
-MATA HARI, by Emma Beeby and Ariela Kristantina _______
A layered reevalution of the controversial WWI spy in this five-issue series.
L I O N
F O R G E
-MAE, Volume 2 by Gene Ha _______ ⇧
The next chapter in the all-ages cross-dimensional adventure series by the acclaimed artist of Alan Moore's TOP 10.
B O O M
-CODA, by Si Spurrier and Matías Bergara _______
Like Mad Max goes to Mordor.
-JUDAS, by Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka _______ ⇧
A deconstruction of Judus Iscariot as fate's puppet.
-ABBOTT, by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivela, and Jason Wordie _______
This hard '70s detective will solve this arcane noir, if she can get past everyone's biases. Five issues.
-FIREFLY, by Greg Pak and Dan McDaid _______ ⇧
Jumping from Dark Horse, the adventures of everyone's favorite cult TV Space Western continue.
B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :
-STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST, Vol. 2, by Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag (IDW) _______ ⇧
Mulligan and Ostertag wrestle with the complexities of being a postmodern feminist superhero.
-THE HIDDEN WITCH, by Molly Knox Ostertag (Scholastic) _______
Ostertag's hailed sequel to THE WITCH BOY.
-The Beatles' YELLOW SUBMARINE, by Bill Morrison (Titan) _______ ⇧
"It's all in the mind, y' know."
A labor of L-O-V-E by the co-founder of Bongo Comics and current editor of MAD Magazine, distilling the film into thoughtful graphic tableauxs.
-FAB4 MANIA: A Beatles Obsession and the Concert of a Lifetime, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics) _______
Tyler's diary entries and illustrations lovingly recreate the thrill of Beatlemania taking hold of the new youth through 1965, with a you-are-there sweetness.
-The Provocative COLETTE, by Annie Goetzinger (NBM) _______ ⇧
Lateral to the film bio COLETTE (2018) starring Keira Knightley, Annie Goetzinger tells her version of the notorious life of the great French literarary rebel.
-McCAY, by Thierry Smolderen and Jean-Philippe Bramanti (Titan Comics) _______ ⇧
A comics bio of the life of Winsor McCay, creator of the esteemed "Little Nemo In Slumberland" comic strip and modern animation, told in the style of his work.
[See also: "The Adventures of Hergé" (Drawn & Quarterly), and the Art Masters graphic novel bios of fine artists.]
-THE JOE SHUSTER STORY: The Artist Behind Superman, by Julian Voloj and Thomas Campi (Papercutz’s Super Genius) _______ ⇧
A lovely biography of the co-creator of Superman, the character that established the entire comics industry.
And how that industry then established the legally-upheld pattern of bilking massive corporate profits at the expense of disposed creators.
[See also: 1938-Now]
-MEMORABILIA, by Sergio Ponchione (Fantagraphics) _______
Bios in comix form of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Wallace Wood, Will Eisner, and Richard Corben, referencing their styles in each.
-MONK!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship Behind a Musical Revolution, by Youssef Daoudi (First Second Books) _______ ⇧
BeBop or be dead.
The symbiotic relationship of Jazz prophet Thelonious Monk and his patron, Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter.
-ALL THE ANSWERS: A Graphic Memoir, by Michael Kupperman (Simon & Schuster) _______
A nuanced memoir about his father, a Quiz Kid champion of the '40s, and the toll of celebrity on soul and family.
-BERLIN 3: City Of Light, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly) _______ ⇧
Across 20 years, Lutes has woven an ongoing examination of how the rebellious Wiemar Republic was (ahem) trumped by repressive Nazism, which he has now finished in this timely third collection.
-I, René Tardi, Prisoner of War in Stalag IIB, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
The French comics legend gives account of his father's time surviving that Hell.
-BRAZEN: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu (First Second) _______ ⇧
Revolution Grrrl Style Then!
A herstory of international hellions.
-I MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TO WORK IN ANIMATION, by Natalie Nourigat (Boom) _______ ⇧
In which she does exactly what she set out to do, and maybe you can, too.
-WHY ART?, by Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
Eleanor Davis peels away layers of assumption in a quest of better understanding about the practice of creation.
-THE LIE AND HOW WE TOLD IT, by Tommi Parrish (Fantagraphics) _______
A contemplation of how the anxieties in mundane relationships can lead to their undoing.
-GRAFITY'S WALL, by Ram V and Anand RK (Unbound) _______
A wall in Mumbai, the pivot point for the futures of young friends.
-THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER, by Jen Wang (First Second Books) _______
'Princess fairy tales' are getting thankfully challenged and liberated at every turn nowadays, and this welcome volume about friendship, secrets, and personal expression is another push forward.
-COYOTE DOGGIRL, by Lisa Hanawalt (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
The designer of the 'Bojack Horseman' show decides to indulge any fun fantasy she wants.
-UPGRADE SOUL, by Ezra Claytan Daniels (Lion Forge) _______ ⇧
Can you attain perpetual youth? Should you?
-ON A SUNBEAM, by Tillie Walden (First Second) _______
A collection of the webcomic series, a poignant tale about outer space exploration and inner space revelation.
-TAEMONS, by Kim Salt (ShortBox) _______
Any deal with a devil is more than you bargained for.
-HOMUNCULUS, by Joe Sparrow (ShortBox) _______ ⇧
A character story about artificial intellence and the turning of time.
-CASSANDRA DARKE, by Posy Simmonds (Fantagraphics) _______
The evergreen Posy Simmonds (GEMMA BOVERY, TAMARA DREWE) returns.
No one combines literate text, narrative illustration, caustic barbs, and sublime moments in their work like her.
-HASIB AND THE QUEEN OF SERPENTS, by David B. (NBM) _______
Who can resist a Thousand And One Nights tale, told in kaleiscopic design?
-BARRIER, by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin (Martin Panel Syndicate) _______
A self-published indie comic by one of the most important writers of the medium, which you can name your price to buy.
(Be generous.)
-LIKELY STORIES, by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham (Dark Horse) _______
A new horror anthology by the two luminaries.
Now let's wrap up Miracleman after 25 years, guys.
-The Sons of EL TOPO, Vol. 1: Cain, by Alejandro Jodorowsky and José Ladrönn (Dark Horse) _______ ⇧
Alejandro Jodorowsky spoke for decades of doing a sequel to his epochal symbolist Western film, EL TOPO (1970).
At last, he gives us a version of it, beautifully panarama-ed by the cinematic art of José Ladrönn.
-WONDER WOMAN: Earth One, Vol. 2, by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette (DC) _______ ⇧
Morrison and Paquette continue their alternate take on the origins and arrival of the eternal Diana.
-MARVEL RISING: Unbeatable Squirrel Girl meets Ms. Marvel, by Devin K. Grayson, Ryan North, G. Willow Wilson,
and Marco Failla (Marvel) _______
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel meet for the first time.
Well? Throw money at it!
B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S /
R E I S S U E S :
-PRINCE VALIANT: Volumes 4-6 (1943-1948), by Hal Foster (Fantagraphics) _______
Hal Foster -and his peers Alex Raymond and Milton Caniff- turned comic strips from kids stuff to a literate art form, inspiring every comic book artist who followed.
-EC ARCHIVES: Weird Fantasy, Vol. 3, by Multiple Creators (Dark Horse) _______
EC Comics invented adult comics in the early '50s, and were crucified for it.> Catch up to the original revolution.
Stories by Gaines, Feldstein, Frazetta, Wood, Kamen, Orlando, and Williamson.
-EC ARCHIVES: Haunt Of Fear, Vol. 5, by Multiple Creators (Dark Horse) _______
Stories by Gaines, Feldstein, Binder, Kamen, Davis, and Crandall.
-THE UNKNOWN ANTI-WAR COMICS, by Multiple Creators (IDW) _______
A trove of previously overlooked anti-war stories across the years, featuring work by Steve Ditko and others.
-YRAGAËL AND URM: The Madman, by Michel Demuth and Philippe Druillet (Titan) _______
Philippe Druillet intersected Kirby cosmicness with Moorcock experimentalism, changing the comics industry after co-founding Metal Hurlant/Heavy Metal magazine with Moebius.
This is a remastering of the 1974 Science Fantasy classic.
-LONE SLOANE: Gail, by Philippe Druillet (Titan) _______ ⇧
This third volume in the ongoing remasters of the Lone Sloane series reprints the 1978 book.
-INSIDE MOEBIUS: Vol.1, 2, and 3, by Jean Giraud (Dark Horse) _______
In 2001, Jean Girard/Moebius/Gir sought to reinvent himself again in a doodle diary, which instead became a sprawling discourse of an author inverting his ouvre with perverse glee while questioning himself.
Looser, funnier, odder, crazier.
-THE PRISONER, by Jack Kirby and Gil Kane (Titan) _______ ⇧
In the mid-'70s, Marvel Comics supported the return of Jack Kirby by letting him adapt two projects dear to his heart: the film 2001 and the symbolist TV series, 'The Prisoner'.
But they felt the cerebral tale lacked action, and had Gil Kane take another go at it. Neither version was ever released, a grievous error set right by this deluxe book scanning the original art of each.
BCNU.
-WONDER WOMAN: The Golden Age Omnibus, Vol. 3 (1946-'47), by William Moulton Marston, Joyce Murchison, H.G. Peter, and Robert Kanigher (DC) _______
The final stories written by original creator Marston and his ghost partner Murchison, illustrated by co-creator Peter.
After Marston's death in '47, the feminist firebrand was systematically neutered over the next 20 years by Robber Conniver.
-GREEN LANTERN: The Silver Age Omnibus, Vol. 2 (1965-'70), by John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane (DC) _______
Editor Julius Schwartz kicked off the Silver Age rebirth of comic books in 1956, in the wake of the attempt to extinguish them. He did it by streamlining them for the Space Age, with sharp writers, sleek artists, and always always always smart Science.
This Cosmic Cop series inspired all of the imitations that followed: Captain Mar-Vell, Nova, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Men In Black, etc.
-GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW: Hard Traveling Heroes (1970-'74), by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams (DC) _______ ⇧
This is the precise turning point when comics grew up and were first acknowledged by the mainstream media.
O'Neil and Adams were the peers of the New Hollywood, bringing a level of literacy and illustration and sociopolitical realism that the New York Times Review Of Books termed "the Age of Relevancy". Every mature innovation since in the medium branches from right here.
Essential.
-JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: The Bronze Age Omnibus, Vol. 2 (1974-'77), by (DC) _______
The classic line-up of the most influential super-team in history.
-BATMAN By Neal Adams, Book 1 (1968-'69), by Bob Haney, Dennis O'Neil, and Neal Adams + (DC) _______
The first stories, when Neal Adams' naturalistic illustration began propelling the medium forward.
-ALL-STAR SUPERMAN (2005-'08), by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC) _______
One of the most majesterial celebrations of the Last Son Of Krypton gets remastered.
-MISTER MIRACLE (2018), by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC) _______
The recent, highly acclaimed 12-issue maxi-series compiled.
How does the escape artist escape himself?
-FANTASTIC FOUR, The Coming Of Galactus: The Epic Collection (1964–'66), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Marvel) _______
Fantastic Four had been a brainy adventure series, but this is the moment when Marvel Comics first got biblical on a cosmic scale.
-DOCTOR STRANGE, Master of the Mystic Arts: The Epic Collection (1963-'66), by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel) _______
The creators of Spider-Man go unexpectedly mad with glorious visions of the beyond.
-SPIDER-MAN, No More: The Epic Collection (1966-'67), by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., Larry Leiber, and Marie Severin (Marvel) _______
Every story where a superhero chucked it all and walked away comes from right here.
-Jim Starlin's MARVEL COSMIC ARTIFACT EDITION (1972-'77), by Jim Starlin + (IDW) _______ ⇧
Inspired by Kirby's New Gods, Jim Starlin invented Thanos and the struggle for galactic power, blocked by Captain Marvel, The Avengers, and Warlock.
He set off the entire Marvel '70s SciFi wave, as well as the throughline of the Marvel Films which culminates in AVENGERS: Infinity War (2018) and AVENGERS: Endgame (2019).
-MASTER OF KUNG FU, Weapon of the Soul: The Epic Collection (1974-'75), by Jim Starlin, Doug Moench, and Paul Gulacy + (Marvel) _______
After four decades of backstage legalities, Marvel is finally free to reprint this vital series.
Initiated by Jim Starlin during the Martial Arts craze, it would evolve under writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy into an interrogation of previous Asian stereotypes with profound philosophical introspection, amid radical Steranko-esque page arrangements.
And it would only get better, as subsequent volumes will prove...
-Marvel Masterworks: KILLRAVEN (1973-'76, 1982), by Don McGregror and P. Craig Russell, + Adams, Chaykin (Marvel) _______
While writer Don McGregor was revitaling Black Panther, his modern sequel to WAR OF THE WORLDSs took full flight with artist P. Craig Russell. As Russell found his unique graphic Art Nouveau style, the series became fine art, culminating in a stunning 1982 graphic novel reunion finale.
-MOON KNIGHT, Final Rest: The Epic Collection (1982-'84), by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, + (Marvel) _______ ⇧
Moon Knight during this period was the exact equivilent of the GL/GA O'Neil and Adams stories a decade before.
The title was one of the first to go off newstands to the new Direct Market of comic stores, allowing writer Moench and artist Sienkiewicz to bring an adult intensity and stylistic innovation unseen before.
This volume contains their final three issues, plus some other worthy work by creators that followed.
[For a fuller span of their run, get the essential previous volume, MOON KNIGHT, Shadows of the Moon: The Epic Collection.]
-The Ballad Of HALO JONES, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson (2000 AD) _______
One of Moore's first series, and his first with a dynamic female lead.
-THE ONE, by Rick Veitch (IDW) _______
A rare six-issue series for Epic Comics (1985), in which Veitch paralleled Moore in deconstructing modern superhero tropes.
After this, he began an ill-starred arc following his friend Moore as writer/penciller for Swamp Thing.
-VIOLENT CASES, by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (Titan) _______
Gaiman and McKean made their comics debut in 1987 with this experimental Noir story.
-V FOR VENDETTA 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (DC) _______ ⇧
Because you need to be told, at all times, to pay attention, to fight back, to never give up.
-LOST GIRLS: Expanded Edition, by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie (IDW) _______
Comics' royal couple treats coupling royally.
-RONIN, by Frank Miller (DC) _______
After his early-'80s Daredevil run brought hardboiled maturity to mainstream American comics, Miller had more clout than anyone in 1983.
So he made a cutting-edge Lone Wolf And Cub/cyberpunk epic that shocked or divided everyone, and which across time has come clear as one of the best things he ever did.
-Bill Sienkiewicz's MUTANTS AND MOON KNIGHTS Artifact Edition, by Bill Sienkiewicz (IDW) _______
The experiments from "Moon Knight" led Sienkiewicz to expand his Adams realism into Steadman frenzy, coming to the fore in his bracing 1984 work on The New Mutants, the first X-Men spin-off team.
His experimental work on the character Legion therein is why Noah Hawley's TV show LEGION is so artfully stylized.
-DAVE McKEAN: The Short Films, by Dave McKean (Dark Horse) _______ ⇧
A blu-ray of McKean's short films in a book with production photos and art.
-DC Comics: The Art of DARWYN COOKE, by Darwyn Cooke (DC) _______
Cooke left the Bruce Timm animation shows to become one of the luminaries of modern comics, until his untimely passing.
-DIRTY PLOTTE: The Complete Julie Doucet, by Julie Doucet (Drawn and Quarterly) _______
Another lost soul, this one a pioneer for confessionals in indie comix, with a bent and sad edge.
-STAR WARS: Forces Of Destiny,
by Multiple Creators (IDW) _______ ⇧
All-ages comics with new adventures spotlighting Leia, Rey, Hera, Ahsoka, Padme, and Rose with her sister Paige.
Watch the Forces Of Destiny cartoon shorts for free here:
Season 1, Season 2
-SPECTACLE, Vol. 1, by Megan Rose Gedris (Oni Press) _______
A paranormal circus murder mystery.
-MILK WARS, by multiple creators (DC/Young Animal) _______
A crossover event between DC and its punk imprint Young Animal, including: JLA/Doom Patrol; Mother Panic/Batman; Shade, the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman; Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye/Swamp Thing.
WHERE WE COME FROM, Dept.
Explore the past to map the future.
Get with, get going.
-Comic Book History of Comics: Comics for All, by Fred Van Lente, Ryan Dunlavey, and Adam Guzowski (IDW) _______ ⇧
The sequel to "Comic Book History of Comics", which told the history in graphic form, goes international in scope.
-NEW HOLLYWOOD, by Jean-Baptiste Thoret and Bruno (IDW) _______ ⇧
A graphic overview of how the counterculture saved Hollywood and advanced filmmaking between 1967 and 1980.
B E S T
M O V I E S
a n d
T V:
I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.
-AVENGERS: Infinity War ⇧
10 years of quality superhero films coming to fruition, and hinging into the new future.
-BLACK PANTHER
The best aspects of Kirby, McGregor, Priest, and Coates' comics now innovating on the screen.
-ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
Underrated fun, led by the formidible Wasp.
-SPIDER-MAN: Into the Spider-Verse
A quantum leap forward in animation, with a smart plot, laughs, and heart.
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The satirical graphic novel expanded by a fine ensemble cast.
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The highest level of fine art craft on Television.
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"Born Again" reborn.
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Black and White are social delusions, only human empathy matters.>
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B E S T
W E B C O M I C S
-NANCY, by Olympia Jaimes
Under a pseudonym, someone is upgrading the classic strip's mindtricks for the digital age.
"Sluggo is lit" and you should get literate, too.
-ON A SUNBEAM, by Tillie Walden
-The Nib
RESIST!
R E S T
I N
P O W E R
- Stan Lee
- Steve Ditko
- Marie Severin
From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.
© Tym Stevens
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