2022 was a big year for fantasy with 2 of the biggest shows of the year (Rings of power and House of the dragon) sporting impressive audience counts and seemingly decent reviews. Things are less glamorous on the comic book side. With the recent interest in more popular genres, we opted to reflect on the year and see what the genre had to offer in terms of creative direction and storytelling in fantasy. We could get into a whole rundown of what a fantasy story looks like in 2022/ 2023 but I think that would be better saved for another post. So, without further preamble here are the 10 best fantasy comic books of 2022 in no order.
Wynd: Throne in the sky by James Tynion IV
The art in Wynd has a cuteness usually reserved for stories brighter than this. That is not to say Wynd has no bright spots but the story carries a denser atmosphere than one might expect from the neat cuddly stylized characters. Wynd throws the reader into a complex maze of fantastical politics and group dynamics as a group of youngsters escape an invasion by a rival kingdom and have to flee as both the fairy kingdom and the vampire kingdom realize that one of the youngsters (Wynd) belongs to a race of ancient beings fabled to return and …(insert fantasy prophecy here). Most of the story focuses on the group dynamics of the fleeing youngsters- who are a mish mash of the various human factions and one fairy. Like most fantasy stories Wynd struggles to introduce you to its sprawling world while juggling a host of evolving characters. Some characters seem to disappear into the background and keeping up with who is who and who they are related to sometimes can be a pain. Notwithstanding Wynd is a great story to pick up and it gives you that cute feeling as bodies are hurled from great heights.
Once and Future by Kieron Gillen
In the age of movie and TV remakes, once and Future fits in perfectly. I will not be surprised if in a few years this hits the big screen. In Once and Future Arthurian Legends jump out of their stories into real life upsetting the natural flow of destiny as our world and Otherworld overlap. A chosen few who know about this phenomenon are able to also slip into Otherworld but this exchange comes with a risk. To engage in the fantasy world of Otherworld, you must assume the mantle of one of it’s characters binding you in some narrative way to the fate of whatever character you choose. The concept is not all that original but Kieron’s execution is amazing and would be greatly appreciated by every English major in existence. Dan Mora is one of my favorite artists in existence and his work on this piece is a psychedelic marvel. The chaotic frenzy of the story is felt in its color palette with some of the best stylized fight scenes I have seen this year. If you are not familiar with the Arthurian stories don’t hesitate to get this book however, some of its intricacies can only be apricated by being in the know particularly when the concept of the characters living out their fates is in play.
Forgotten Blade by Tze Chun
Forgotten blade is one of those classic fantasy tales like The Odyssey. Forgotten Blade sacrifices a sprawling congested world for a singular narrative witnessed from the eyes of 2 protagonists. This allows a deeper interaction with the themes of loss, betrayal and frustration that make up the core of the story. When a “sorceress” loses her children she embarks on a journey of revenge and justice pulling a self-centered hopeless warrior into her cause. The two of them then set out on a classic adventure to kill … Like I said Forgotten blade doesn’t try to do too much but remains loyal to a focused telling of it’s characters trauma. Inter personal relationships is where it shines the best as unlikely allies find unity in their purpose and empathy for one another’s pain. Its magic system although largely abstract plays perfectly with its setting. Overall an enjoyable journey that’s easy to follow. I do however wish that Tze dove more into Forgotten blade’s magical system because it holds such a large corner of the narrative but lacks any systematic explanation.
Children of The Dying Dawn by Joshua Isiguzo
Set in an ancient African inspired fantasy world, Children of the dying dawn is one of those stories that throws you into transpiring events and expects you to piece the story together. The story follows Amari -an idealistic assassin from a matriarchal guild and her encounter with Jenga- a slave runner. This encounter triggers what seems to be the catalyst for the story. With the second issue just hitting the web its hard to predict what will come next. Artist David Isiguzo, crafts an engaging African landscape with colorful skies and temperate grasslands with deep hues. His action scenes just keep elevating with each page. Like a lot of web-based comics, COTDD faces the challenge of retaining its readers and making them aware about launches. The first issue was a whopping 40-page turner that showed a wider world churning with significant events, issue 2 was more concise with a return to emphasis on its two major protagonists. The writers face the challenge most fantasy writers face in weaving world building and a host of characters together. With the characters they’ve shown so far we hope they do not sacrifice the evolution of their characters for the more grander ideas put forward in issue 1.
Kill Six Billion Demons by Abaddon
I started reading KSBD last year and I was blown away by the format and raw anime fantasy-like zest it exuded. Although it is filled with the insane over the top character design and fight scenes usually found in the anime genre, Kill six billion demons is a deep exploration into the human condition and the effects that friendship, love and time have on a person. As mostly a web-based comic, readers get to enjoy a new page almost every 2 weeks with the pages adding up over time to form a complete chapter or volume. This year saw a falter in page delivery for a while but Abaddon (writer and artist) has been back at it with the story moving into a new phase after last year’s “big boss battle”. Its hard to put down once you get started every arc hits the reader with a burst of color and some deeply well written pieces of profound extrapolation on violence, mental health, friendship, and power. KSBD’s art is a joy to behold with a stylized approach that favors bright warm colors and thick outlines. The setting is every fantasy fan’s wet dream, a nexus of worlds at the center off the universe allowing for creatures of almost any race in existence to be a part of this amazing epic.
Dark Knights of Steel by Tom Taylor
Dark knights of steel transports most of the DC lineup we know and love (Superman, batman, Wonder woman, The joker, Constantine, Black Lightning, Poison Ivy etc) to a fantasy setting complete with sorcery and royal families. The result is a Game of Thrones style political atmosphere that is quickly turned towards chaos by some mysterious meddling force that is killing members of the royal family. It’s fun to see these characters played with like this, almost like watching a close friend act in a school play. Dark Knights of Steel does little to change the actual character of some of these icons but seeing Batman ride a Dragon or Harley Quinn be an actual court jester, breathes new life into these icons that is alien to their normal setting. The story itself is well narrated and not too adventurous in its plot twists. Any DC fan would love this ongoing saga and even newcomers will find some good old sword and sorcery action to enjoy.
Starhenge by Liam Sharp
Another one of those- where does sci-fi begin and fantasy end? – type titles. Starhenge is a crazy innovative narrative spanning billions of years with 2 coexisting timelines laid directly on top of each other. It’s a mind-trip going from the techno wars at the end of humanity to the rustic hills of Dark Ages Britain. Somehow writer Liam Sharp weaves a tale of love and friendship layered in strata of grandiose machinations and world building that sometimes I was literally stunned by the amount of information he expects the reader to hold on to at all times. The story is not an easy read and the art is as experimental as some of the ideas attempted. Combined, however, I could not help but marvel at the sheer artistic wonder such an undertaking must have been. Although the story sometimes might feel like one elongated history book, Sharp always manages to insert enough fun and wonder that at worst you are not even sure how you really feel as a reader and sometimes that’s enough to keep going. I would never suggest this for someone new to the comic format but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary bearing artistic zest with every syllable, you’ve found your comic book.
Seven Secrets by Tom Taylor
I haven’t heard much talk about Boom’s mission impossible-Narnia mash up which I find odd considering how good seven secrets was. The premise, there are seven secrets- like Pandora’s box, and they must never be revealed -so an international organization of elite agents is tasked with safeguarding these secrets but someone who knows about the secrets is bent on revealing them to the world. Daniele di Nicuolo and Fabiana Mascolo employ bright colors and amazing lines in crafting the world of Seven Secrets. The art does the story justice, favoring a very stylized whimsical approach- it almost seems like an animated show at times. Despite its art style seven secrets takes itself quite seriously. it is narrated from the protagonists’ (Casper) point of view the whole time with the ending tying into this narrative choice. It does not try to break new ground in any way but the pacing and emotional depth to its narrative shines through. Yes there are big fights with fantasy creatures and huge guns and swords and stuff, but there are also quite moments of tenderness and gasps as betrayals play out. Definitely one of the titles I highly recommend, and a huge plus is- its all completed.
Magic the gathering by Jed Mackay
I’ve been a fan of magic ever since a friend of mine introduced me to the card game in college. Most players don’t even know or care that every set of the game is released with a good bit of lore that ties into an ongoing story that the cards draw from. like most stories with a long history there have been dips and highs in the narrative quality over the years. The latest arc of Magic comics following the exploits of Kaya, Ral and Vraska have been nothing short of a delight. Set in Magic’s most popular plane (Ravnica), the story follows the 3 planeswalkers as they try to uncover a mysterious plot that has seen the elimination of guild heads in Ravnica. The story shows an interesting side to the characters otherwise never witnessed in previous arcs with the drama centered on the ups and downs in their friendship. It was also interesting to see where everyone landed after the momentous events of War of the Spark. At its heart this Magic arc is almost like a buddy cop story with characters that can walk between dimensions and do crazy things like turn you to stone, shoot lightning and kill ghosts. What’s not to love?
Immortal X-men by Kieron Gillen
If you’ve heard me say anything comics related recently, I’ve probably tried to verbally give you a run down of everything the x-men have done since Krakoa’s inception. To be honest nothing in Marvel’s catalogue comes close to the x-men titles. John Hickman’s revitalization of the x-gene carriers goes a long way in cementing him as one of comics GOATS. Kieron Gillen takes the baton from Hickman and runs at blistering pace with it. What is an x-men title doing on a fantasy comics list? Let me explain. From the pages of x of swords the mutants have been moved into a realm that defies anything we’ve ever seen before. Knights of X is perhaps the easiest fantasy- genre candidate on the surface as most of it takes place in Otherworld. I chose Immortal X-men first, because I think its just a better story and secondly it seems to be the amalgamation of the x-men’s foray into uncharted waters and what could be more fantastical than that? The events of Judgement day loomed large this year and seeing the fight from the side of the mutants was an amazing look into the strength and political working of the Krakoan council. The political machinations and agendas of the various members of the council elevates the usual x-men storyline from being a motley crew of costumed teenagers to a tale of bureaucratic maneuvering on the scale of Game of Thrones but with telepaths.
