As the year draws to a close I wanted to take some time to go over some of the stories this year that are living rent free in my psyche. I challenged myself this year to venture beyond my regular genre choices and my usual big publishing titles. I am glad I made that decision. As the year closes I can tell next year already holds a lot of promise with titles like Die, Skinbreaker and Briar: Night’s terror, 2026 might have something to say but let’s live in the moment by revisiting this year.
Arcana Royale
A poker game with stakes that are world impacting, whether you hold or fold there are consequences. Consequences like a flood that wipes out an entire village; earthquakes in densely populated regions – that sort of thing. Hudson must navigate the tournament with the highest stakes this universe has ever encountered. Her opponents are not just seedy mafia types or oligarchs but vampires, succubae and other supernatural beings. Conceptually this was a hit, illustrator Zamudio pens pages in a mural like style that keeps you glued to the poetry of motion and symbolism. The hypothetical ethical implications are disturbing to ponder but a worthwhile exercise. Strongly recommend you pick this up if you don’t get too queasy around occult references.
Bug Wars
Remember in the early 2000s when stories about kids shrinking down to the size of insects was the rage? Let’s see we had Antz, The ant bully, Honey I shrunk the kids 1&2, Arthur and the invisibles, Epic- like it could be an entire genre. Bug wars is kinda in that vein but married to hard-core fantasy. While reading it reminded me a lot about a mature version of Arthur and the invisibles which was one of my favorite movies growing up. Writer Jason Aaron does a magnificent job of creating deep lore and cultural tapestries for this fascinating world of insects. He does a good job of selling this small backyard as a thriving world full of sorcery, ancient politics and clashing geopolitics.
Also having a lawn mower being an apocalyptic event is nothing if not poetic. The story is not the most original but its perspective is interesting enough and Jason Aaron and artist, Mahmoud Asrar, do an incredible job of crafting an engaging living world with stakes that elevate the entire narrative.
Undiscovered Country
Scott Snyder has always been one of my favourite writers, and by love he did not disappoint with this title. This title completely captured my imagination this year and has some of the most poignant relevant lines for our lives today. The premise: America decides to split itself into 13 different zones that embody different ideals to the extreme e.g. unity, freedom, history etc. After the split and time given to citizens for relocation, the United States cuts itself off from the world. Years pass and a team is invited to visit the now insane isolated world that is America. What follows is unpredictable. In an age where America seems to be more divided than ever this is disturbing in an existential way. Giuseppe does a good job of penning the insanity that is this story. His attention to detail creates a haunting world of bio engineered wonders that enhance a story rife with dire warnings. One thing about Undiscovered country is its knack to make statements at the unlikeliest of times. For a comic it does have quite a good amount of text so if you are not given to large monologues this might not be the one for you.
Artificial
Let’s get real, would you date an android? Artificial is just a few issues in but already the story has me in its grip. Its a little out of my normal reading style but the art and storyline have a simple approach that emphasizes nuance and reader imagination. Maria llovet’s antagonist Clara is just going through a break up when impulsively she decides to try out a new dating service that uses programmed androids. What follows is an erotic drama of desire and possession. I’m not trying to make a point of deemphasizing the need for escapism in comics but most times the stories that stay with us have a way of creeping into our reality and Artificial does that without trying. I cant wait to see how this story develops.
Assorted Crisis Event
The world is ending but not the way we normally see it, this time Time is the issue. Anomalies like; people randomly shifting out of our timeline while going about their business; incursions from other timelines into our reality; individuals aging and regressing in development across their individual timelines. The conceptual leaps in this comic are mind-boggling and horrifically exciting. Where ACE shines is in its execution of stories that delve into the human experience in a metaphysical crisis. The comic does a good job of highlighting our penchant for grace, our need to be seen and the human complexity of furnishing kindness while harbouring deep resentment. Yes dinosaurs are popping into existence randomly but Jesŭs still has to get to his meat packing job and wait here is an artistic telling of Jesŭs’ immigrant story and how he ended up here. A lot of sci fi writers, me included, tend to get carried away by their ‘brilliant concepts’, Denis Camp weaves his anthologies with so much heart it overshadows the oohs and aahs of the conceptual metaphysics going on and that is a good thing.
As this is an anthology every issue focuses on a different phenomenon tied to the individuals dealing with its implications so there’s never a moment where you feel like you know what is coming next. Also there is a guy walking around with a jetpack in every issue, that’s not a thing right….?
Battle Beast
The spin off from perhaps one of the best comics to ever hit stands (Invincible) comes with its own bag of high expectations. I was familiar with the character from the main story so I was expecting a bloody rampage of cosmic proportions.The story follows- battle beast who is the last surviving warrior of a warrior race. Endowed with super strength, super agility and basically immortality, he is on a mission to find a warrior worthy of killing him.
While battle beast does deliver some gritty over the top action it does go out of its way to capture a more tender sincere side of this cuddly beast. The relationship he forms with an abandoned ship’s AI and half dead prince, forms the foundation of this hilarious over the top ride. The characters are not well rounded but they don’t have to be; they form a kind of party that makes up for what the other lacks. Its also Battlebeast so you don’t have to think too hard if at all.
The Moon Is Following Us
picked up this comic when it first came out, this was maybe towards the end of last year. My memory is not good and i won’t lie that I remember everything in this comic, however The moon is following us has haunted me since I put down the last issue this year. The story follows 2 parents who are stuck fighting a war in their child’s imagination to try and rescue her from her nightmares that have her trapped in a coma like sleep. Riley Rossomo captures the weight and wackiness of this story. How do you capture the grief and anxiety of a household in these dire consequences yet include the wacky silliness of a child’s imagination? Riley gives you that answer with each page. The moon is following us does an amazing job of keeping you guessing even with numerous plot twists, you never get used to the fact that writer- Daniel Warren doesn’t want you to trust what you are seeing or feeling. Somehow this comic finds time to touch on some of the darkest issues plaguing families and even though it speeds through some of these issues it does a great job of staying true to its message. As a parent myself I felt the desperation and anxiety baked into this and reflected on my own family dynamics in relation to the ever haunting question every parent has ‘ am i doing the right thing?’. Through it all nothing stands more true than any parent will dive into the depths of hell for their young one.
We Are Taking Everyone Down With Us
Annalise’s father is a genius level world villain, he gets killed in a government attack on his base and seemingly transfers his consciousness into an android. Annalise survives the attack and suddenly gets embroiled in a fight for revenge against the forces that led to her father’s demise. WATEDWU is a hilarious action packed narrative full of very memorable characters, the story feels like a 007 spy movie with impossible gadgets and secret organisations but if the super agent were a 12 year old seething with genius and rage. The story hinges on the dynamic between the android and Annalise and this is executed marvelously. Their banter is some of the funniest things I’ve read this year. Even the antagonists are likable in their own special way, Agent Rook will have you wondering if he’s a zealot for justice or just an addict looking for a constant adrenaline high.WATEDWU is no doubt one of the best comics out there and with that ending…
The Power Fantasy
There are extremely powerful individuals in this world known as atomics. Together they form a sort of cabal,engaged in a balancing act of power, that presides over the fate of life on earth. With human existence resting on their shoulders the story follows a rather fascinating yet grim play of power as all atomics, though empowered in different ways, are basically nuclear deterrents. Every exercise of their power is weighed against a reaction on the other members of the group. In a world filled with a million and one super hero stories the great Kieran Gilen gives us a completely fresh take on what power is and how it affects its welders. Each member of this group embodies a sort of ideal and worldview that makes their group chats philosophically fascinating. Since this book started last year it’s been one of my favorite things to read and it’s both bittersweet that we finally see the story wrap up this year and by God what an ending. A lot of super hero stories nowadays have a tendency to be regurgitated concepts but after an amazing run with House of X and now this, it’s clear that Kieran brings something I can’t help but crave to the capes sub-genre.
Worldtree
I know this list is for comics that have had an impact on me. It’s perhaps safe to say none has haunted me as much as worldtree. Worldtree follows a motley crew of friends who in their teenage years discover a hidden part of the internet called the undernet. This undernet houses an entity that “ possesses” anyone who observes it while browsing. The subject of the possession becomes extremely violent and well watch the conjuring you’ll get the idea. The team consequently seal off this undernet recognizing how dangerous this could be if it gained access to the internet. Most of the story takes place years later in their adulthood when literally hell breaks loose when the possessions begin anew.
This was my first prolonged dive into tech-horror ( by the way are there other tech- horror books out there?) and I’m not sure I’m built for this. James Tynion’s writing is fluid and technical, the latter being somewhat hard to follow sometimes but necessary for the world he builds. Worldtree’s main antagonist who appears on most of the comics artwork, is insanely horrifying in an almost animalistic way; however what strikes terror more often than not is the thought of any character sitting in front of a screen. So ingrained is the concept of the undernet by issue 2, you dread it’s presence with every flip of the page. Fernando Blanco’s art is the perfect marriage for this terrifying ride. He offers no comfort with his sometimes dual colour palette and sharp but light lineart. He captures the haunted anxiety that seeps from most of the cast and when it’s time to bring hell the rather laid back visuals transform into a glitched matrix of hellspawn. Do yourself a favour and stay away from this book….or not.
