2015 Best Graphic Novels and Sequential Art

I usually have a main hobby each year, one which occupies most of my time over and above the others. And following my somewhat unplanned attendance at this year’s London Super Comic Convention - I was inspired to revisit the world of Comics and Graphic Novels. Something which has always been in my life, but mostly on the periphery. This year all that changed, and I got back into Graphic Novels in a big way.

Much like with my reading, I like tackling larger works, and get frustrated by too-short novels and simple 30-ish page comics, so my preference has always been for the collected volumes or TPs (Trade Paperbacks). The following lists all consist of trade paperbacks, which format I buy almost exclusively with the exception of Lady Mechanika, Monstress and Tales of Honor.

Historically I used to buy mostly Vertigo, but now the Image Comics imprint totally dominates. This year I also caught up with the back catalogues of Aspen, Big Dog Ink, Humanoids, Top Cow, Valiant and Zenescope. Of my 90+ Humanoids books, I particularly like the works of Jodorowsky - whose entire back catalogue - including films I consumed this year.

As I said in an earlier post, the golden age of comics is upon us again, as never before has the quality and variety been greater. For me there is a certain magic where narrative, characterisation, dialogue, illustration, layout, colouring and lettering meet. I cannot buy a graphic novel with poor art though, and the only Humanoids and Image titles I avoid are the overly simplistic black and white line-art ones. I am currently following 80+ Image series, and well over a 100 series in total. The following lists feature my personal favourites of this year, the ones which I enjoyed and which inspired me the most! Most feature great art, some have amazing, imaginative narrative, and many combine both.

Note that these featured books are mostly intended for mature readers (16+), and contain adult themes. There is a smattering of child-friendly titles here too like Lumberjanes and Princess Ugg. I really like all these 100+ titles mentioned, and have found it difficult to assign on a scale of descending preference, hence titles have been listed alphabetically.

Top 10 Imprints by 2015 Impact

Descending order:

• Image (inc. Top Cow)
• Humanoids
• Valiant
• Marvel
• Vertigo
• Dark Horse
• IDW
• Titan Comics
• Avatar
• Zenescope

Honourable mentions go to Boom! Studios, Black Mask Studios, Dynamite Entertainment and Oni Press too.

2015 Best 25 across all categories

Alphabetical:

• Anibal 5 (Humanoids)
• Chew (Image)
• Death Vigil (Image)
• Descender (Image)
• Divinity (Valiant)
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Boom!)
• East of West (Image)
• Genius (Image)
• Hawkeye (Marvel)
• Izuna (Humanoids)
• Kill Shakespeare (IDW)
• The Life After (Oni Press)
• Low (Image)
• Lumberjanes (Boom!)
• Monstress (Image)
• Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• Saga (Image)
• Sex Criminals (Image)
• Shahrazad (Big Dog Ink)
• Sunstone (Image)
• Thor (Goddess) (Marvel)
• Wayward (Image)
• The Wicked + The Divine (Image)
• Wild Blue Yonder (IDW)
• Wytches (Image)

Best 35 Ongoing / Just Ended] Series

Alphabetical, latest volume indicated:

• Alex + Ada Vol 3 (Image)
• Aphrodite IX / IXth Generation Vol 4 (Image)
• Black Science Vol 3 (Image)
• Chew Vol 10 (Image)
• Coffin Hill Vol 3 (Vertigo)
• Deadly Class Vol 3 (Image)
• East of West Vol 4 (Image)
• Fairest Vol 5] (Vertigo)
• Fire + Stone Vol 4] (Dark Horse)
• God is Dead Vol 6 (Avatar)
• Hawkeye Vol 4] (Marvel)
• Hinterkind Vol 3 (Vertigo)
• Lady Mechanika Vol 2 (Benitez Press)
• Lazarus Vol 3 (Image)
• The Life After Vol 2 (Oni Press)
• Manifest Destiny Vol 2 (Image)
• The Massive Vol 5] (Dark Horse)
• Ms. Marvel Vol 4 (Marvel)
• Porcelain Vol 2 (Improper Books)
• Princess Ugg Vol 2 (Oni Press)
• Prophet Vol 4] (Image)
• Rat Queens Vol 2 (Image)
• Revival Vol 6 (Image)
• Saga Vol 5 (Image)
• Sex Criminals Vol 2 (Image)
• Sheltered Vol 3 (Image)
• Shutter Vol 2 (Image)
• Southern Bastards Vol 2 (Image)
• Sunstone Vol 4 (Image)
• Thor - Goddess of Thunder Vol 2 (Marvel)
• Uber Vol 5 (Avatar)
• The Wicked + The Divine Vol 2 (Image)
• Wonderland Vol 22 (Zenescope)
• X-O Manowar Vol 10 (Valiant)
• Zero Vol 4 (Image)

Best New Series for 2015

Top 35 - Alphabetical:

• The Autumnlands (Image)
• Birthright (Image)
• Bitch Planet (Image)
• Copperhead (Image)
• Death Sentence (Titan Comics)
• Death Vigil (Image)
• Descender (Image)
• Divinity (Valiant)
• Drifter (Image)
• ei8ht (Dark Horse)
• Genius (Image)
• Harrow County (Dark Horse)
• The Humans (Image)
• Imperium (Valiant)
• Injection (Image)
• Invisible Republic (Image)
• Ivar, Timewalker (Valiant)
• Lady Killer (Dark Horse)
• Lady Pendragon (Image)
• Low (Image)
• Lumberjanes (Boom!)
• Monstress (Image)
• Ninjak (Valiant)
• Ody-C (Image)
• Paper Girls (Image)
• Postal (Image)
• Reyn (Image)
• Roche Limit (Image)
• RunLoveKill (Image)
• Suiciders (Vertigo)
• Tales of Honor: Bred to Kill (Image)
• The Tithe (Image)
• The Valiant (Valiant)
• Wayward (Image)
• Wytches (Image)

2015 Best Single Volume

Top 30: Alphabetical

• 12 Coins (Titan Comics)
• Anibal 5 (Humanoids)
• Bodies (Vertigo)
• Bouncer (Humanoids)
• Caliban (Avatar)
• Child of the Storm (Humanoids)
• The Complete Adventures of Cholly and Flytrap (Titan Comics)
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Boom!)
• Effigy: Idle Worship (Vertigo)
• Father’s Day (Dark Horse)
• The Fly: Outbreak (IDW)
• Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi (Vertigo)
• The Infinite Loop (IDW)
• Izuna (Humanoids)
• The Kitchen (Vertigo)
• The Last Days of American Crime (Image)
• Legend of the Scarlet Blades (Humanoids)
• Mandalay (Humanoids)
• The Multiversity Deluxe Edition (DC)
• The Names (Vertigo)
• Nimona (HarperTeen)
• Redhand (Humanoids)
• Red One (Image)
• Shaper (Dark Horse)
• Star Wars: Shattered Empire (Marvel)
• The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
• Supreme: Blue Rose (Image)
• The Surface (Image)
• The Swords of Glass (Humanoids)
• Wild Blue Yonder (IDW)

5 Notable Special Editions

• Aphrodite IX: The Complete Series (Image)
• Dragon Age Library Edition Vol 1 (Dark Horse)
• Kill Shakespeare: Backstage Edition Vol 1 (IDW)
• Locke & Key Master Edition Vol 1 (IDW)
• Mass Effect Library Edition Vol 2 (Dark Horse)