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Comics congratulates its creators on the inclusion of their titles on
an overwhelming number of taste-making media outlets’ “Best of 2014”
lists. After a banner year of sold-out series launches, bestsellers, and
awards galore, we are pleased and proud to see the hard work and
passion the writers and artists who create ground-breaking comics
continues to be recognized.
Here are a few of those best-of lists:
NPR
Best Books of 2014
RAT QUEENS VOLUME 1: SASS AND SORCERY by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch —
“The Rat Queens are the very best kind of strong female characters.
Their flaws are believable, their friendships are solid (if liberally
peppered with expletives) and they can rid your town of trolls — for a
hefty price, of course.”
FATALE DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean P. Phillips —
“Josephine is an irresistible cipher trapped by her own seductive web,
and the H.P. Lovecraft-inspired baddies incite real shivers.”
PRETTY DEADLY VOLUME 1: THE SHRIKE by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Ríos —
“The art alternates scratchy chaos and arresting tableaux, and the
crisscrossing stories, built on other stories and folded within yet more
stories, become a dream-logic commentary on the West's construction of
its own mythology.”
SAGA DELUXE HARDCOVER BOOK ONE by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples — “World-class talent teams up to create this galactic adventure that is comics’ best space opus of our time.”
The A.V. Club
The Best Comics of 2014:
Ongoing and special series
ALEX + ADA by Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna
— “...the patient world-building and careful character
exposition—backed by Luna’s confident track record—promise an enjoyable
slow burn for however long the series lasts.”
MANIFEST DESTINY by Chris Dingess and Matthew Roberts
— “It offers all the ensemble drama of Robert Kirkman’s title with a
less claustrophobic atmosphere, exploring the sweeping landscape of the
American frontier by detailing Lewis and Clark’s Western expedition.”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples — “Saga is truly a title where anything and everything is possible”
SAVAGE DRAGON by Erik Larsen — “Years pass, stories come and go, and even the main characters change, but Larsen’s 22-year epic keeps on rolling.”
SEX CRIMINALS by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky — “this creative team has brought more depth to their high concept by exploring the dark side of this sexy situation.”
SHUTTER by Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca
— “Writer Joe Keatinge builds an engaging narrative as he explores
Kate’s secret family history and the way it upends her life, but the
main attraction of this series is the superb artwork by Leila Del Duca
and colorist Owen Gieni, who realize this extraordinary setting in
impeccable detail.”
SOUTHERN BASTARDS by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour —
“The team does exceptional work creating an atmosphere that combines
down-home Southern charm with a pervasive sense of menace, and the
juxtaposition of these two elements is what gives Southern Bastards its inimitable attitude.”
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
— “In the year 2014 there is nothing more interesting for the gods and
goddesses of ancient myth than to be pop stars, so that’s what they do.”
ZERO by Ales Kot et al — “The
book is constantly evolving, and Kot’s decision to work with a new
artist every month has brought astounding depth and personality to the
series’ visuals as the story ventures deeper into Edward Zero’s psyche.”
SAGA DELUXE HARDCOVER BOOK ONE by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
— “...readers with fortitude will love Saga for its arch dialogue,
exhilarating plot, and, above all, exquisite art: Fiona Staples imagines
alien races of soldiers, journalists, bounty hunters, and baby nannies
with staggering visual inventiveness. There are nights when I pull Saga off the shelf just to stare at it.”
Vulture
The 10 Best Comics Series of 2014
RAT QUEENS by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch (#7) —
This “sword-and-sorcery tale about a band of lady adventurers is
probably the most gleefully foulmouthed series on stands today, and the
world is better for it.”
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (#6) —
“Every once in a while, the comics industry produces a series that is
truly, effortlessly hip…. The dialogue is as slick as the art, and the
tale is as outlandish as it is readable.”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (#3) —
“Vaughan and Staples really outdid themselves this year. Their story of
a family caught in the middle of an intergalactic war has never been
funnier or more heartfelt…”
Vox.com
The Best Comic of 2014
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie —
“...a jewel of a comic from writer Kieron Gillen, a deeply talented
creator of charming, gritty characters and familiar yet intriguing comic
book worlds. Artist Jamie McKelvie, Gillen's partner in crime for past
comics like Phonogram and Young Avengers, gives Gillen's cutting prose beautiful life.”
DEADLY CLASS by Rick Remender and Wes Craig (#25) — “Remender’s accounts of homelessness and LSD overload resonate with authenticity.”
PRETTY DEADLY (#22) by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Ríos — “Art and story alike refute our expectations, making Pretty Deadly feel less like a western than a new myth.”
PROPHET (#19) by Brandon Graham, Simon Roy, et al —
“...think of the VHS box art to every grindhouse sci-fi movie in the
‘70s and ’80s. If all of those movies accurately reflected the
air-brushed, hyper-imaginative splendor hinted at in their cover, and
merged into a giant 100-hour epic directed by Moebius, it would probably
look something like Prophet.”
BLACK SCIENCE by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera (#15) — “Black Science is vintage sci-fi wrung through a punk rock meat grinder.”
SOUTHERN BASTARDS by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (#10) —
“Any worthwhile Southern lit gets compared to Faulkner or O’Connor or
McCullers, and even though the violence is at the forefront of Southern Bastards,
the sadness and the pain of the South lies almost visible just
underneath. It’s a story of the South — it’s the story of the South.”
EAST OF WEST by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta (#8) —
“...it’s equally (and wonderfully) over-the-top and human, with
briefly-encountered ideas that could sustain a series on their own.”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (#2) — “...few ongoing comics thoroughly hold readers in such rapt attention, dying to get their hands on the next installment.”
SEX CRIMINALS by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (#1) —
“I wouldn’t trust most comic creators to turn a sexual awakening into
compelling pulp fiction, but Fraction and Zdarsky pull it off
masterfully.”
The 25 Most Interesting Comics of 2014
ALEX + ADA by Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna (#25)
— “...an engaging examination of what it means to be human and free at a
time when true artificial intelligence seems just around the corner.”
STRAY BULLETS: KILLERS by David Lapham (#14) —
“When it first started, the crime genre was all but nonexistent in
comics, but today there are a lot to choose from (many influenced by Stray Bullets), yet Lapham is proving he’s still the best.”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (#8) —
“With daring content full of graphic sex (often involving robots) and
brutal violence, it’s been one of the most addicting monthly reads out
there.”
SEX CRIMINALS by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (#5) — “There is no other comic out there quite like Sex Criminals.
After its strong debut last year, it now qualifies as a phenomenon with
sales big enough to make it a career-defining book for its two
creators.”
10 Best Comics of 2014
SEX CRIMINALS by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (#8) —
“Despite having such a ludicrous, high concept premise – and the pair
definitely go whole hog with that, Zdarsky filling porn shops with dirty
punning titles and the first issues list of made up sexual positions
being particular highlights – the series frequently touches upon serious
issues of sexuality.”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (#5) — “Warmly written and beautifully drawn, Saga
is nonetheless a rollercoaster of smart but heartbreaking plot twists,
with Vaughan frequently dangling the most monstrous of cliffhangers.
Cosmic family drama with ghostly babysitters and gorgeous people – comic
books are pretty great.”
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (#1) — “The Wicked + The Divine
has more than delivered as a magical thriller that comments on the
relationship between art and fandom, features some amazing pop art
visuals from McKelvie (not to mention some fierce wardrobe choices), and
generally is easily the most engaging comic book of the year.”
SHUTTER by Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca (#4) —
“By the time you were done with that first issue, you didn’t want to
just read about this story and its world. You wanted to live in it.”
DEADLY CLASS by Rick Remender and Wes Craig (#3) — “This is a comic about stray kids who, in the absence of blood relatives, have cobbled together a new family. Deadly Class feels like Remender’s most personal work to date.”
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillan and Jamie McKelvie (#2) — “If you can appreciate smart characters, smart design, and just smart comic books, then you can appreciate The Wicked + The Divine.”
SOUTHERN BASTARDS by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (#1) — “This series creates a new world that uses characters, not flash, to draw readers in, even as they want to avert their eyes.”
EAST OF WEST by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta (#8) — “Within its pages, it contains everything that’s good about the art form.”
DEADLY CLASS by Rick Remender and Wes Craig (#7) — “...one of the most brilliant comics of the year…”
SHUTTER by Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca (#4-tie) — “Everyone should be reading this fantastic, manic, imaginative and, most importantly, fun book.”
ALEX + ADA by Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna (#4-tie)
— “I love this book, and if you’re a fan of character-driven sci-fi
that’s inventive and beautiful (and I hope you are), then you just might
as well.”
SOUTHERN BASTARDS by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (#4-tie) — “Southern Bastards doesn’t feel like any other ongoing series…”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (#3) — “ Month in and month out Saga is an emotional tidal wave.”
SUPREME: BLUE ROSE by Warren Ellis and Tula Lotay (#7) — “...one of the year’s most gorgeous books.”
STARLIGHT by Mark Millar and Goran Parlov (#4) — “It’s a emotionally fulfilling tale, and by god is it a beautiful one.”
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #5 by Kieron Gillan and Jamie McKelvie (#6-tie) — “Though WicDiv
had already gained our love with the first four issues, the conclusion
to ‘The Faust Act’ showed just how unpredictable this series could be.”
LAZARUS #9 by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (#6-tie)
— “This issue was its grand finale, finding all of the threads coming
together, and it was a beautifully symphony conducted by Rucka and fully
realized by Lark, Brian Level and colorist Santi Arcas. This book
didn’t just meet its potential here, it surpassed it entirely, and it
only continues to build ever since.”
THE FADE OUT #1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (#4-tie) — “Brubaker and Philips have created something special, a frequent result of their partnership, and The Fade Out #1 is the tantalizing first glimpse of a world made up of Technicolor fantasies and the secrets they hide.”
SOUTHERN BASTARDS #2 by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (#2) — “Southern Bastards #4 defied every reader’s expectation of what an ongoing series could be...”
Greg Rucka, LAZARUS (#8-tie) —
“The fact that Rucka, through his skill as a writer, was able to grab
the core of my being and shake the shit out of it ensured his place on
my shortlist of the year’s best writers.”
Jonathan Hickman, EAST OF WEST and THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS (#8-tie) — “His grandiose ideas and steady plot builds are everything I want from comics.”
Brian K. Vaughan, SAGA (#7) —
“After (redacted), I felt like he was the world’s greatest monster, but
then I realized the fact he can make me feel that way is why he isn’t
that, but the world’s greatest comic writer.”
Warren Ellis, SUPREME: BLUE ROSE and TREES (#6)
— “ I suppose you could call 2014 a perfect storm of Warren Ellis’ work
in comics, as he made 3 major contributions to the comic stands and
each one was just as strong as the next.”
Matt Fraction, ODY-C, SATELLITE SAM, and SEX CRIMINALS (#4) —
“...he took what could have easily been a one note concept and
developed it into one of the funniest and most heartfelt books in
comics.”
Ed Brubaker, THE FADE OUT, FATALE, and VELVET (#3) — “Each of Ed Brubaker’s series creates a new world, and comic fans should keep exploring them for as long as possible.”
Jason Aaron, SOUTHERN BASTARDS (#2) — “... the only way to know it is an Aaron story is to marvel at its excellence.”
Goran Parlov, STARDUST (#10-tie) — “Few artists can take you inside the heart of a character as well as Parlov.”
Tula Lotay, SUPREME: BLUE ROSE (#7-tie)
— “...pushes the boundaries of the realism of the medium and enters a
very surreal and dream-like state and is, simply, beautiful.”
Wes Craig, DEADLY CLASS (#6) — “Fantastic covers, interesting page designs, unimpeachable cover treatments, Wes Craig’s got a hell of a lot going for him.”
Jamie McKelvie, THE WICKED + THE DIVINE (#5) — “...excellent character design and powerful storytelling...”
Leila del Duca, SHUTTER (#3-tie)
— “...her ability to take a situation that’s completely insane – and
she’s given many of those – and extract emotional truths from them is
already unparalleled.”
Fiona Staples, SAGA (#3-tie) —
“Staples is the most imaginative artist working in the industry today.
The character designs she’s created are unlike anything that have ever
existed before and will never be duplicated. Years from now, artists
will use Saga as the standard for what science fiction should look like.”
Frank Quitely, JUPITER’S LEGACY (#2) — “...his intricate line-work and acute attention to the most minor of details sets him apart from most modern artists.”
Fiona Staples, SAGA (#5) — For those of us that consider ourselves cover connoisseurs, Staples’ Saga covers
are to be treasured. For those that are new to comics these covers will
be remembered fondly later in life as igniting a passion for the art
form that are comics and more specifically comic covers.”
Jenny Frison, REVIVAL (#2) — “‘I want to read this. It looks awesome.’”
Jamie McKelvie and Matthew Wilson, THE WICKED + THE DIVINE (#1) — “...nothing short of a comic book phenomenon.”
TREES by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard (#3-tie) —
“This book is science fiction at its best because it enlightens as well
as entertains and expresses the joys and fears that colors every human
being’s experience.”
ALEX + ADA by Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna (#3-tie) — “Despite its sci-fi trappings, Alex + Ada is
a romance book. The characters are well written, and their relationship
feels true. If you’ve ever disparaged the lack of diversity in comic
genres, you owe it to yourself to support this book.”
ComicBook.com
The 20 Best Comics of 2014
STARLIGHT by Mark Millar and Goran Parlov (#19) —
“...an exciting adventure story that has a lot to say about the
qualities that make life worth living, offering a cathartic and
meaningful conclusion.”
ZERO by Ales Kot et al (#15) — “...a growing story that connects every issue into a larger tale about the cost of violence and importance of empathy.”
STRAY BULLETS: KILLERS by David Lapham (#12) — “The return of Stray Bullets after an almost 10 year hiatus has revealed that is has lost none of its power while away.”
SOUTHERN BASTARDS by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (#10) — “...one of the most brutal and honest reflections of the American South and heartland to be found in any medium.”
DEADLY CLASS by Rick Remender and Wes Craig (#7) —
“Craig’s cartooning is absolutely superb. He conveys story, emotion,
and impact on each page with striking compositions and layouts.”
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (#5) —
“There is a good reason that so many readers have responded to these
characters and the story they occupy; it's nearly perfect.”
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