For Villain Media, our very own Managing Editor Jorge Solis picks out the very Best Comic Books that put their indelible stamp on 2018 in his Top 10 List. Readers are welcome to have fun checking out these comics in shops after spotting them on this year end list.
I’m going to be honest here; 2018 offered more lows than highs, especially with a racist and impetulant dehumanizer sitting in the President’s chair. But somehow, creativity manages to push through even in the darkest of times, offering a bit of hope in the bleakest moments. Comic books, just like the best of literature, have something to say; we just have to be open and listen in the dark.Here are my Top 10 picks for the best comic books that came out of 2018:
10) Red Hook Vol. 1: New Brooklyn (Image Comics)
Writer/Artist Dean Haspiel spins his own coming-of-age tale, twisting around the origin story of a superhero. The first volume builds its own mythology, following Red Hook’s interesting character arc as he tackles family, crime, and love.
9) Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles #0 (Tom Holland’s Terror Time)
The 80’s cult favorite crucifix-wielding hero returns in a new story arc! Writer Ben Meares and artist Riley Schmitz take on a nostalgic revival and do some neat twists with the main character. This standalone installment serves as a bridge into future Fright Night comic books!Fright Night – The Peter Vincent Chronicles – Comic Book now in our store! #FrightNight #ComicBooks https://t.co/TNeSrxMoqO via @thterrortime
— T H Terror Time (@THTerrorTime) November 19, 2018
8) Son Of Hitler (Image Comics)
Writers Anthony Del Col and Geoff Moore, and artist Jeff McComsey crafted a dense puzzler that racks together elements of history, paranoia, and espionage. The pages are a reminder that Hitler’s legacy continues to live on and Charlottesville is an eye-opening reminder of the 45th President’s corrupt rhetoric.7) Bone Parish (BOOM! Studios)
Bone Parish has a captivating plot that cleverly blends crime with the supernatural. Writer Cullen Bunn does a fantastic job jumping around between the addicts, the dealers, and the kingpins. Artist Jonas Scharf does a marvelous job with his rendering of New Orleans; I actually want to live in his drawings.6) Holliston: Friendship is Tragic (Source Point Press)
Writer Greg Wright and artist Stephen Sharar bring back the cast of Adam Green’s cult TV show to the comic book page. The horror/comedy mishmash includes picking out the easter eggs! There are references to Stephen King books and John Carpenter movies popping up in the backgrounds.5) Quantum + Woody! (Valiant Entertainment)
In Separation Anxiety, writer Eliot Rahal and artist Joe Eisma take the most dysfunctional brothers and toss them in a alternate dimension. Quantum and Woody realize something is missing in their lives and it’s not just their superpowers. They actually miss each other but the bumbling and estranged duos don’t even realize they’re actually brothers.4) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 20 (IDW Publishing)
Personally, I don’t know if creator Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Dave Wachter and Tom Waltz were commenting on the roughest images of the today’s news, as innocent children were kidnapped by the government and locked up in cages. I personally know I’ve been left cynical but seeing the Turtles fight to save children lifted up my spirits. The Turtles didn’t care where these kids came from, they did what was right and fought together against “The Kingdom of Rats.” If you need heroes in today’s age of fools, you can start here.3) Wytches Bad Egg Halloween Special (Image Comics)
Before the second volume of Wytches starts, this one-shot special captures the dark corners of American suburbia and dissects the dark secrets behind the nuclear family. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Jock look back at the loss of innocence as childhood goes horribly wrong in Bag Egg.
2) Delta 13 (IDW Publishing)
If you thought Space Force was ridiculous, writer Steve Niles and artist Nat Jones really bring in the scares of Space Command. My all-time favorite of their collaborative works is The Nail, but this one really comes close. Delta 13 has such an insane love for Alien and Lifeforce, readers will definitely dig this one!1) Eternal (Black Mask Studios)
I loved how writer Ryan K. Lindsay and artist Eric Zawadzki mixed historical fiction with ghost stories. Eternal has a timely message that strike a chord with the #TimesUp and the #MeToo movements, especially now that we have an accused rapists sitting in the supreme court. There is a reckoning taking place in Eternal, as well as in real life, because history finds a way of repeating itself.