2011 is one for the books, and in celebration CBR has been going over the books -the comic books of course. (Puns!) All last week, we counted down our Top 100 Comics of 2011, and before we dive into 2012 full on we wanted to offer our readers one last look at some of the best comics published over the last 12 months.
This year, 30 publishers, collectives and creators had their work rank on the big list from the most mainstream of superhero and genre publishers to the most obscure alternative efforts with a healthy dose of literary comics, modern graphic novels, digital efforts and manga thrown in. Once again, the comics industry showed up in 2011 with some of the best and brightest efforts imaginable.
As in previous years, the Top 100 was compiled thanks to the tireless work of a range of CBR's contributors who sent in their own ranked Top Ten lists to me (News Editor Kiel Phegley) with point values being associated to each book which I later edited down to a Top 100 I felt best reflected the vote of the staff. This year's nomination team included the following fantastic writers on comics: CBR News Team members and controbutors Alex Dueben, TJ Dietsch, Shaun Manning, Jeffrey Renaud, Dave Richards, Steve Sunu, George Tramountanas, Brett White and Brian Warmoth; CBR Columnists Timothy Callahan and Brigid Alverson; CBR Reviewers Benjamin Birdie, Greg Hatcher, Ryan K. Lindsay, Greg McElhatton, Chad Nevett and Doug Zawisza; Comics Should Be Good bloggers Greg Burgas, Brian Cronin, Sonia Harris and Kelly Thompson; Robot 6 bloggers Sean T. Collins, Chris Mautner, Michael May, Tim O'Shea and JK Parkin. And last but never least, our rarely seen publicly but always radical trio of Senior Editor Stephen Gerding, Programmer Frank Beaton and Executive Producer Jonah Weiland.
Looking at the hard numbers, DC Comics took a strong lead with 23 titles ranking overall. Seven of those titles came from the mature readers Vertigo imprint while a surprising nine were part of the publisher's recent New 52 superhero relaunch. Not to be outdone, Marvel Comics came in second with 15 titles on the chart including the #1 book of the year in "Daredevil" and two entires from their creator-owned Icon imprint. Image Comics was close on the heels of the big two with eleven entries overall, and the rest of the list contained many publishers with multiple books ranking including the always strong art comics publisher Fantagraphics with seven books, a record year for Drawn & Quarterly with five comics and high marks for the Portland publishing scene with Dark Horse earning five spots, Oni earning four and Top Shelf earning two.
On a personal note, over the course of any given year, I read more blog entries, op/eds, news stories and message board posts that decry comics as a dying medium which is both creatively bankrupt and commercially fallow than any sane person probably should. For whatever reason, it's very easy for people in this business, professionals and fans alike, to accentuate the negative and foretell our inevitable demise. But each and every year when I compile this list, I'm bolstered by the fact that there are probably more totally awesome comics being made now than at any time in the medium's history. Even with the rigorous work of the staff, there are doubtlessly more great comics from 2011 that we've missed. Overall, there are just too many good comics being published today for any one person or any one website to keep total track of. How GREAT is that???
So please take a moment to look over the list one last time, read up on a few comics you may have never seen before and maybe purchase a few of them while you're at it. Afterwards, chime in on the CBR Message Boards to have your say on the best comics of 2011!
- Daredevil
- Animal Man
- Hark! A Vagrant
- Love & Rockets New Stories 4
- Habibi
- Uncanny X-Force
- Scalped
- Ultimate Comics Spider-Man
- Detective Comics Vol. 1
- Batwoman
- Wonder Woman Vol. 4
- Swamp Thing Vol. 5
- Anya's Ghost
- Action Comics Vol. 2
- Aquaman Vol. 7
- Green River Killer A True Detective Story
- Casanova: Avaritia
- Batman Vol. 2
- One Soul
- Garden
- Butcher Baker The Righteous Maker
- Super Dinosaur
- Wolverine & The X-Men
- Big Questions
- Petrograd
- Chew
- Journey Into Mystery
- The Sixth Gun
- Finder: Voice
- Infinite Kung-Fu
- Planet of the Apes
- Amazing Spider-Man
- Morning Glories
- Deadpool MAX
- Batgirl Vol. 3
- Hulk
- Ivy
- Lose
- Criminal: Last of the Innocents
- The Fantastic Four Comics of Jonathan Hickman
- PunisherMAX
- Pepper Penwell & The Land Creature of Monster Lake
- Graphic Classics
- Optic Nerve #12
- B.P.R.D.
- Green Wake
- Severed
- Ganges #4
- iZombie
- Fables
- Onwards Towards Our Noble Deaths
- O.M.A.C.
- Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance
- American Vampire
- Centifolia II
- Witch Doctor
- Any Empire
- Touch Sensitive
- All Star Western/Jonah Hex
- Drops of God
- Eye of the Majestic Creature
- Archie Meets Kiss
- Pope Hats #2
- Saturn Apartments
- Vengeance
- Who is Jake Ellis?
- Wolves
- Atomic Robo
- Locke & Key
- Love From The Shadows
- Feynman
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 9
- Amelia Rules: The Meaning of Life...and Other Stuff
- The Boys
- A Tale of Sand
- The Shade
- Sweet Tooth
- The Wolf
- The Unwritten
- The Cardboard Valise
- Gladstone's School For World Conquerors
- Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
- Xombi
- The Walking Dead
- Hellblazer
- Prison Pit
- Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010
- Congress of The Animals
- The Cape
- Artifacts
- Reed Gunther
- Irredeemable
- Loose Ends
- Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword
- Batman Incorporated
- Darkwing Duck
- The Punisher
- Echo
- A Zoo in Winter
- Paying For It