1. Daredevil #5 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (05/15/19)
‘Know Fear – Part 5’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto / Colors: Sonny Gho / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco
So good it hurts. You can feel the emotions coming off the page. Incredible writing and art to match. This series will go down in legend.
2. Batman #79 (DC) ★★★★★ (09/18/19)
‘City of Bane – Part 5’
Writer: Tom King / Art: Clay Mann & Seth Mann / Colors: Tomeu Morey / Cover: Tony S. Daniel & Tomeu Morey
A perfect Batman book. This comic has it all. Gorgeous art, snappy dialog. Great action scenes. Romance. Humor. I love Bat & Cat together. Aces.
3. Immortal Hulk #24 (Marvel)★★★★★ (10/02/19)
‘The Steel Throne’
Writing: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose, Balardino Brabo, Marc Deering & Roberto Poggi / Colors: Paul Mounts / Cover: Alex Ross
Sweet Christmas. This book went places I did not see coming. The end of Fortean and the possible emergence of a new kind of Hulk. Big things are definitely brewing. Oh, and the ending? I have no words. I have lost all my words.
4. Spider-Man: Life Story #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (03/20/19)
‘The 60’s – Chapter 1: The War at Home’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Mark Bagley & John Dell / Colors: Frank D’Armata / Cover: Chip Zdarsky
Amazing. Great art, brilliant storytelling. Perfect.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (01/23/19)
‘The Final Gauntlet – Part 1 of 6’
Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Geoff Shaw / Colors: Marte Gracia / Cover: David Marquez & Dean White
A perfect book. Great art, a interesting story, big moments, and fun to read. Outstanding.
6. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/28/19)
‘Friendly Neighborhood Mary Jane’
Writer: Tom Taylor / Art: Juann Cabal / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Andrew C. Robinson
Outstanding. Sparkling dialog.. complete with callbacks. Spot on art with lots of great little bits of business. A surprise guest star. Practically perfect in every way.
7. Daredevil #7 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (06/19/19)
‘No Devils. Only God – Part 2’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Lalit Kumar Sharma & Jay Leisten / Colors: Java Tartaglia / Cover: Chip Zdarsky
Beautiful. Just… beautiful. I love scruffy Murdock, and the religious elements really moved me. There was even a surprise. This may be a perfect book.
8. Cano #5 (IDW) ★★★★★ (10/02/19)
Writer: David M. Booher / Art: Drew Zucker / Colors: Vittorio Astone / Cover: Drew Zucker
Six pages of wordless battle and the end of Canto’s quest… or not the end? Beautiful storytelling and one of the most heartbreaking pages I’ve ever read (second to last page, I read it three times). Wonderful book.
9.Secret Warps: Arach-Knight Annual #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (07/24/19)
‘Part 4: Supremeuniversal’
Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Carlos Gomez / Colors: Carlos Gomez / Cover: Carlos Gomez & Edgar Delgado
’A Terrific Tangle’
Writer: Jim Zub / Art: Carlo Barberi & Juan Vlasco / Colors: Ruth Redmond
Best book in the ‘Secret Warps’ series, by a mile. Beautifully drawn with with writing so fun I laughed out loud several times. Both stories are practically perfect, in every way.
10. Daredevil #12 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (10/02/19)
‘Through Hell – Part 2’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto / Colors: Nolan Woodard / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco
Gritty, dirty and brutal – twice. The fact the Murdock fight takes place in daylight makes it even more visceral. You could almost feel the punches. The Fisk scene… holy… yikes. Awesome book.
11. Immortal Hulk #19 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (06/12/19)
‘Butterfly’
Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose & Balardino Brabo / Colors: Paul Mounts & Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Alex Ross
Holy Christmas, that was something! Grisley, cruel, shocking… amazing. Just wow.
12. Doom 2099 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (12/11/19)
‘2099 – Part 10’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Castiello & Vincenzo Acunzo / Colors: Chris Sotomayor / Cover: Tomm Coker & Michael Garland
Outstanding Doom/Richards story. Zdarsky & Castiello combine for a near-perfect one-shot. The surprise of the 2099 EVENT!
13. Invisible Woman #3 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (09/11/19)
Writer: Mark Waid / Art: Mattia De Lulis / Colors: Mattia De Lulis / Cover: Adam Hughes
Outstanding. From the cover to the final page, this is a spy thriller done right. I love Sue as a bad-ass spy… and with a new power set too. Awesome stuff.
14. Fantastic Four #13 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/14/19)
‘The Fight of Your Life’
Writer: Dan Slott / Art: Sean Izaakse / Colors: Marcio Menyz / Cover: Esad Ribic
That was crazy good. I don’t think I have never seen the Thing get beat up that badly. Loved the way the fight was portrayed. Loved the ending. Loved the coda. Loved everything.
15. Amazing Spider-Man #18.HU (Marvel) ★★★★★ (04/03/19)
‘Hunted’Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Ken Lashley / Colors: Erick Arciniega / Cover: Greg Land & Frank D’Armata
Sublimely dark and grim. Beautiful and sad. Wow.
16. Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #4 (Image) ★★★★★ (06/05/19)
Writer: Mark Millar / Art: Simone Bianchi / Colors: Simone Peruzzi with Matteo Vattani / Cover: Simone Bianchi
Excellent book. Betrayal, spies, living asteroids. Great stuff. Vatanni’s assist on the art provided a special kick. Just awesome.
17. Martian Manhunter #6 (DC) ★★★★★ (06/26/19)
‘We Plan Escape’
Writer: Steve Orlando / Art: Riley Rossmo / Colors: Ivan Plascencia / Cover: Riley Rossmo
The fall of Mars as our story comes full circle – sort of. The fall of J’onnz is portrayed masterfully. The betrayal and loss. Beuautiufully written and brutally ilustrated. Awesome.
18. Silver Surfer: Black #3 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/14/19)
‘Black – Part 3 of 5’
Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Tradd Moore / Colors: Dave Stewart / Cover: Tradd Moore & Felipe Sobreiro
Visually stunning throughout (that cover!) This issue has a directness and tight narrative that really improves the story. Surfer is valiant and strong, as opposed to previous issues where he displayed many of his flaws. I prefer this version.
19. King Thor #2 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (10/23/19)
‘Chapter 2: Gorr and the Last of the Gods’
Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: Esad Ribic / Colors: Ive Svorcina / Cover: Esad Ribic
The Gorr/Loki/Thor dynamic makes for an incredible read. Aaron’s writing in this issue is simply amazing. The visuals are grim, brutal and sublimely beautiful. An awesome book. What a rebound. Wow.
20. Immortal Hulk #22 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/07/19)
‘Who’s There’
Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose & Balardino Brabo / Colors: Paul Mounts / Cover: Alex Ross
Oh man, that ending. For a relatively quiet book, this was a riveting read. The intensity keeps building, until… BOOM!