We're back with our longtime annual CBR tradition. At the end of the year, we polled the many members of the CBR staff that make this site so great and asked them for their rankings of the top comics of the year. Every publisher putting out new comics material in English, regardless of genre or format, was fair game; each individual list was then factored in to determine the overall Top 100 that will be unveiled on CBR over the course of this week.
We started on Tuesday with #100-76, then Wednesday saw #75-51, Thursday saw #50-26, Friday saw #25-11. Here's the schedule for the remaining posts (all times Eastern): Sunday, 1/1:9 a.m.: Master list.
10. Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons
Written by: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art by: Gene Ha, Nicola Scott, Wesley Wong and Annette Kwok
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC
This series technically had two issues in 2022, but I think it's probably fair to say that the CBR staffers who voted for this one were not taking into consideration the issue that came out a couple of days ago (although i lumped it in there with the creators listed above), so it is likely that the breathtaking second issue is really the one that people were voting on (as, again, I finished collecting votes before #3 came out). DeConnick and Ha showed the origins of Hippolyta and her people becoming Amazons, and it's just SO impressive. Ha is one of those comic book artists that everything he draws is gorgeous, but when you pair him with a talented writer (like his work with Alan Moore) such as here, it's transcendent. The power and the heart in this comic is such an outstanding combination. Plus, of course, there is also a Nicola Scott-drawn issue to enjoy that came out this year, so I'm sure that's great, too!
9. X-Men Red
Written by: Al Ewing
Art by: Stefano Caselli, Juann Cabal, Andres Genelet and Michael Sta. Maria, Madibek Musibekov, Federico Blee and Protobunker's Fer Sifuentes-Sijo,
Letters by: VC's Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel
A highlight in an era of highlights, every single issue of X-Men Red has been snarky, inspiring, thrilling, and more than anything shocking. It’s a book that builds upon the history of the X-Men and the Krakoa era to make a space-centric mutant Game of Thrones with even more ambition. A top-tier Marvel book. - Brandon Zachary, CBR Senior Writer
8. Saga
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Art by: Fiona Staples
Letters by: Fonografiks
Publisher: Image
The hiatus that seemed like it would never end, well, finally ended, as Staples and Vaughan returned after a four-year hiatus (following a dramatic moment in the final issue of the first half of the series) by taking a time jump to show a now adolescent Hazel dealing with the ramifications of the tragedy of the previous story, as she and her mother try to make some money while staying ahead of the authorities. Staples and Vaughan are so good at introducing new characters, and, of course, their established characters are excellent, as well. This is one of the most character-driven ongoing series in the industry, and it is so great to see them back to doing regular work (while, amusingly, in the midst of another long hiatus, just not, you know, only five months or so this time. For a series that famously went to its four-year hiatus on a major dramatic moment, it's kind of hilarious that they went to their current hiatus on a moment almost just as dramatic and sad this time around. This is a comic that takes the term "kill your darlings" to heart in a big way).
7. Catwoman: Lonely City
Written by: Cliff Chiang
Art by: Cliff Chiang
Letters by: Cliff Chiang
Publisher: DC
“Old Woman Catwoman” works as a concept alone, but this DC Black Label series took the concept and ran with it into some surprisingly grounded and character-driven places. With Cliff Chaing taking on writing and art duties, the result is a bittersweet exploration of what makes Selina Kyle (and a city like Gotham) enduring even in the face of finality, regret, and change. - Brandon Zachary, CBR Senior Writer
6. Public Domain
Written by: Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Chip Zdarsky
Letters by: Chip Zdarsky
Publisher: Image
One of the most creative minds in comics today, Chip Zdarsky's creator-owned series, Public Domain, is based around a very creative high concept, which is that what if the creator of a very popular superhero (one that has since been featured in multiple blockbuster films) suddenly discovers that he actually still owns the rights to the character? As you might imagine, that would cause a great deal of chaos, and legal threats up the wazoo, however, for an old creator like the man who created The Domain, this is the chance to rewrite his legacy with the character while also bringing his sons into his world by negotiating a deal that would allow the large corporation to continue to own the Domain, but allow him to do COMPETING Domain comic books, as well. So along with his two adult sons, he begins to launch his own comic book company while his former co-creator on The Domain comes out of retirement to take over the "official" Domain comic book again to show that his former collaborator wasn't the real brains behind the series. As you can see, the meta-commentary is dripping all over this stuff, but really, at the heart of it all, this is about a dysfunctional family being pulled together to try to pull off something amazing. And we're all lucky enough to be along for the ride.
5. Fantastic Four: Full Circle
Written by: Alex Ross
Art by: Alex Ross (with Josh Johnson assisting on coloring)
Letters by: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Abrams Books (its Marvel Arts division)
One of the trickiest things about the Fantastic Four for a lot of people is that the comics really feel like they were just sort of OF the 1960s, ya know? The best part about the series, other than, you know, Jack Kirby, was the fact that it all felt so NEW. Especially that iconic period from 1965-66 where, due to a number of new characters being turned down for their OWN series, they were all merged into the narrative of the Fantastic Four comic book, and so for a year, Kirby, Stan Lee and Joe Sinnott introduced a plethora of new characters and concepts. So it is hard to get away from that feeling of invention and FRESHness that those issues had. Cleverly, then, Alex Ross' new original graphic novel (released by Abrams Books as part of a deal with Marvel), is actively set WITHIN a 1960s Fantastic Four adventure, which allows him to keep the motif of the story very much in the 1960s (with a number of references to the background of the team) and yet, a more modern version of that classic era. In other words, it is one of those rare love letters that really does read like a love letter. This is a celebration of the greatness of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and Joe Sinnott, but it is also very modern, as well, and an original story of its own, and it works beautifully. Ross is a legendary painter, but in this comic, he tries a different art approach, using non-painted art, and it's amazing in how it is familiar and yet a bit distant, and yet just as compelling as his normal art style.
4. Nightwing
Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Bruno Redondo, Geraldo Borges, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Wade Von Grawbadger, Ciao Filipe and Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Wes Abbott and AndWorld Design
Publisher: DC
Last year, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo hit the top of our countdown with the debut of their run on Nightwing, and now, two years into their epic run, their work is just as beloved now as it was last year. One of the the things that consistently make this series stand out from the rest of the pack is, beyond just the general high level of skill that Taylor and Redondo both possess, the way that they treat each and every issue like it is a big "thing." We all know how easy it is nowadays for comic book runs to have what feels like a number of "filler issues" as the story arc-designed storytelling is almost built AROUND the idea of lulls in the middle of the story, and yet here, every issue of the series feels "special." It feels like every issue Taylor and/or Redondo is doing something to make that issue in question feel like it is, like, a special anniversary issue or something like that (amusingly, the 100th issue of the series is due out at the start of 2023). Redondo's covers tie into this aspect of the comic, as they're so very clever.
The second year of stories has also stood out due to the concentration on Nightwing's interactions with other heroes, from his "World's Finest"-style team-up with the new Superman, Jon Kent, to a two-parter with his old Teen Titans teammate, Wally West. An, of course, the burgeoning relationship between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon gets a good deal of play here. It's a very enjoyable comic book series.
3. Once & Future
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Art by: Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillan
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
Publisher: BOOM!
A modern epic, indulging in the deep history of mythology as often as it subverts it – and easily one of the most best comics in recent memory. Despite the massive scope and gorgeous art – particularly Bonvillain’s GOAT-quality coloring – the dense but well-paced scripts by Gillen and Mora's fleshed-out art keep the focus firmly rooted on a perfectly constructed core cast. The best comic of the year, and a personal top ten. - Brandon Zachary, CBR Senior Writer
2. Immortal X-Men
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Art by: Lucas Werneck, Michele Bandini, David Curiel and Diijo Lima
Letters by: VC's Clayon Cowles
Publisher: Marvel
Since Jonathan Hickman left the X-Men office, the line has struggled. 2022 saw things get better in a variety of ways, with Immortal X-Men, by writer Kieron Gillen and artists Lucas Werneck and Michele Bandini, helping right the ship. The book focuses on the Quiet Council, laying out each member's machinations and acting as the flagship for the X-Men books. Immortal X-Men is a must-read Marvel book. Gillen is experienced with the X-Men and allowing him to dig deep into each member of the Quiet Council is brilliant. The book has been full of surprises, with Werneck and Bandini giving readers brilliant art. - David Harth, CBR List Writer
1. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
Written by: Kate Beaton
Art by: Kate Beaton
Letters by: Kate Beaton
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Famous for her iconic Hark! A Vagrant webcomic, this graphic novel shows another side of Kate Beaton, as we see how she went to go work in the oil sands of Canada after graduating from college so that she could pay off her student loans. This is such a thorough examination of Beaton's life that there is even a whole examination just of the very notion of leaving one's hometown (as Beaton is from an area of Canada that is most famous for the fact that few people remain there once they've become adults). However, the bulk of the graphic novel is a thoughtful examination of Beaton's time working in the oil sands and how de-humanizing the experience can be, both for the workers, but also for the First Nations tribes whose land is being ruined by the environmentally damaging effects of the oil process.
Beaton makes sure, though, to show the WHOLE picture of her time there, not just the devastating aspects of being a young woman in a male-dominated field where you are cut off from the rest of civilization (not a good combination for female safety), but also the GOOD times that she had there, the lifelong friendships that were formed. There are two sides to every story, and Beaton covers them all in this masterpiece of an autobiographical work (it almost seems unfair that the brilliantly clever humorist that we all know and love from Hark! A Vagrant, can tell such a hearfelt memoir like this, as well. Pick a lane, Beaton! Stop being so good at everything!
Check back tomorrow for the full master list of the Top 100!