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A comiXologist Recommends (their favorite moments of 2015)
Tia’s Nine Most Memorable Comics Moments of 2015
It was supposed to be one. One favorite comic in 2015. But how?
How could there be only one? This
isn’t Highlander, I work at ComiXology!
I get to read all the comics! And this year has been far too awesome to
pick only one. What criteria would I even
use to narrow it down to one? Best art
or storytelling? Most critically
acclaimed? In the end, I decided on my own most memorable moments. It’s an
unconventional best-of list, to be sure.
You’ll probably notice I have some favorite creators and characters, as they’re
on the list more than once. Thanks for making it such a great year, you
guys! And so, here is an agonizingly
curated selection of some of my favorite moments in comics from 2015…
Best use of critical theory in a Rambo moment:
Ales Kot, Michael Walsh, Matt Wilson
Secret Avengers was wild from start to
finish. It’s a superhero book that
doesn’t take itself too seriously by taking on some rather serious ideas. Just buckle in and enjoy the ride. It’s epic.
Favorite line (that I have probably said in real life because I am The Worst):
Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl #3
Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson
“Black coffee and complete and utter self-destruction. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
It’s vaguely unsettling that I so closely relate to Emily Aster’s evil half, Claire. We both have remarkably excellent taste in clothes and beverages, obviously, but it goes deeper than that. Perhaps this should serve as a cautionary tale, that the cut-out and discarded pieces of yourself always find their way back to you in the end? And they’re probably kind of mad. Dark stuff, you guys. AS DARK AS MY EYELINER. AND MY COFFEE. (I really am The Worst…)
Most delightful cameo:
Marguerite Bennett, Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, Marguerite Sauvage
Renaissance Bucky Barnes? Be still my heart… Also, can we please talk about how positively
dreamy Stephanie Hans’s artwork is? She
is so amazing.
Best middle finger to the patriarchy:
Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robert Wilson IV
In a world where being a non-compliant
woman could get you persecuted, incarcerated, or worse, (wait am I talking
about Bitch Planet or real life?) Penny Rolle is here to remind you that
defining yourself on your own terms is an important act of rebellion.
Most cathartic ugly-cry in a public place:
Scott Snyder, Jock, Matt Hollingsworth
I read this issue on an airplane from New York to Seattle, tears streaming down my face and the flight attendants asking me if I’m okay every few minutes. The wytches may be make believe (right? RIGHT?) but Sailor trying to describe to her dad what her depression feels like is raw and real and in a lot of ways just as terrifying. I highly recommend reading Wytches in ComiXology’s Guided View for maximum scary.
Most satisfying ending:
Al Ewing, Lee Garbett
My Tumblr tag for Kid and Young Loki since Gillen’s run of Journey Into Mystery is “crying forever.” It seemed like Loki would never be all right, no matter what he did or how hard he tried. But in the end all it took was self-forgiveness. Important life lessons, you guys!
The “I have no idea what I just read but gosh darn it I want to read more” Award:
Chip Zdarsky, Kagan McLeod
Cat tanks, you guys. Cat. Tanks. Why is their drool so majestic? Like a rhythmic gymnast’s ribbon! Also, ILU Motivational Orb!
Most Beautiful:
Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier
Ales Kot, Marco Rudy
Everything about this book is simply beautiful – the artwork, the story, the ending. Spoiler alert, you guys: Bucky Barnes gets to be happy. He gets to be an old man and live with his beloved space girlfriend under a space sea and push their pet space aardvark on a swing. I could not make that up if I tried, because I’m pretty sure something like that could only come from the brain of Ales Kot. He and Marco Rudy are a match made in swirling, surrealist heaven and it just makes me so happy because it’s all so beautiful.
Pretty much my favorite thing:
Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson
To be fair, they did warn us. The entire premise of this book is that
everyone is awful and they all die within two years. But somehow we still love them. Kind of like life, I guess. Well played, Team WicDiv. Well played.
In any case, a lot of tears have been shed over WicDiv in 2015. The Fandemonium arc ended with quite a bang
in June with issue 11, and I’m pretty sure we’re all striving to be a little
kinder to one another since issue 13 (with gorgeous art by Tula Lotay). The Commercial Suicide arc just ended this
month, so I guess I’ll just sit around crying in my Tara costume until WicDiv
comes back from hiatus in the spring.
Tia Vasiliou is a digital editor and one of everybody’s favorite 2015 additions to the comiXology team.
AHHHH ISSUE FOUR OF KAPTARA IS OUT TODAY!
It’s so much fun and features a story from Dartor’s horrifying past and Kagan just draws and colours the shit out of it. Please purchase it and get your friends to purchase it and relish in the drawing of inappropriately parked CAT TANKS on page two.
Love,
Chip!
You can get it here is you like your stories of horrifying pasts in FUTURISTIC DIGITAL FORMAT.
(via kaganmcleod)
A comiXologist Recommends:
Michael Crowe recommends
Kaptara #1
Image’s newest science fiction book is (excuse the pun) out of this world! Gorgeously illustrated by Kagan McLeod (kaganmcleod) and intelligently penned by Chip Zdarsky (zdarsky) , Kaptara #1 is an instant classic. It’s the kind of story you didn’t know you needed until after you finish reading it. As someone whose main preoccupation in life (besides horror) is science fiction, this book was a pleasant and refreshing surprise. They hit all the notes that a book in this genre should, while simultaneously flipping on it’s head everything you might expect from a science fiction/action adventure book. This team has crafted a story that is fresh and modern. You can tell that the creators are having a lot of fun creating this world and I had just as much fun consuming it!
Kagan McLeod’s art and designs capture a classic science fiction vibe, his attention to detail is exceptional. The creatures our heroes encounter planetside are fearsome; being both familiar and frightening at once. The character designs are thoughtful, showcasing a starship crew of mixed race, genders, and sexualities reminding one of what made the original Star Trek so great. The alien beings they encounter are pulled straight from classic pulp, referencing medieval designs while still keeping them firmly planted in the realm of science fiction ala Flash Gordon. Why are alien planets always ruled by a kingdom? Because the Royals get the best clothes! I look forward to seeing even more fabulous designs from McLeod in the issues to come. The world he has created is vibrant and colorful, giving even a gorgeous book like Saga a run for it’s money.
I’ve quickly learned to expect the unexpected from Chip Zdarksy. This story does not feel like a retread, in fact many of the narrative decisions made set it apart from anything that’s come before. Playing with conventions is one way this book shines. Zdarksy is not afraid to twist familiar genre tropes, effortlessly updating them for our times. The characters introduced are multifaceted. In the small space of a first issue, Zdarksy is able to breach interesting topics and hint at the rich backgrounds of the major protagonists. What excites me the most about this series is the unapologetic inclusion of a gay character and the promise of natural, organic same sex relationships to come.
Kaptara has quickly become one of my favorite science fiction books. I’ll be praying to the Lords of Kobol for a bi-weekly release (a boy can dream, right?). If you’re itching for more from these creators after reading (and rereading) Kaptara #1 pick up Sex Criminals, written by Matt Fraction with art by Chip Zdarksy and Infinite Kung Fu written and illustrated by Kagan McLeod!
Also be sure to check out two of my favorite science fiction books: Saga, written by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Fiona Staples and East of West, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Nick Dragotta.
[Read Kaptara #1 on comiXology]
Michael Crowe is a comixologist obsessed with the future. He dreams of one day vacationing on Mars while being served drinks by robot butlers.