Jake's five favorite comics of 2013

5. Prophet

Brandon Graham's Prophet is impenetrable at first. A reboot of a subpar '90s sci-fi series by Testosteronest Artist Ever Rob Liefeld, it's really hard to say what the story is even about. But Graham's take on the series is so surreal and ambitious that it takes you along for the ride even if you're not quite sure what's going on.

There's very little dialogue, since most of the story involves a guy walking around alien planets alone. The art, drawn by a revolving team of all-star pencillers including Graham himself, provides a grimy, melancholic vision of space.

4. Daredevil

Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's run on Daredevil continues to be by far the best traditional superhero comic in production today. I was worried when Paolo Rivera stopped drawing the series, but Chris Samnee continues Rivera's bright, '70s-style approach to the art. It really pops among a superhero comic book landscape covered in grim 3D-ish "realism."

Waid's writing hits a perfect balance of not taking itself too seriously while still presenting a real superhero storyline. For any casual readers who want a gateway into the superhero comix landscape, Waid and Samnee's Daredevil is the perfect entry point.

3. Saga

Daredevil may be a good entry point for superhero comics, but for comics in general, Saga will appeal to just about anyone. It's a humorous, romantic space opera about parenting, but don't let that dissuade you. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples are crafting a story so thoroughly enjoyable that it's hard to believe the rights to a TV show or movie adaptation haven't been sold yet.

Admirably, Vaughan and Staples are adamant that Saga is meant to be a comic book above all, and it will remain that way. If you want to get into comics and you think you're too high-minded for superheroes, try Saga... Volume 1 is only $7.99 on Amazon.

2. Hawkeye

Matt Fraction took the Avenger No One Cares About and turned it into the single best publication by either Marvel or DC Comics today. Hawkeye is a deconstruction of the superhero genre, a superhero series without the superhero. Hawkeye (or Hawkguy, as most prefer) doesn't have superpowers or wealth. He's just a guy.

The series feels like an indie comic that just happens to be published by a mainstream publisher. Artist David Aja employs a distinctive minimalist, stencil-style approach to much of the artwork. Oh, and there's the issue that's entirely from a dog's perspective.

But my comic book of the year has to be...

1. The Manhattan Projects

"Weird science" alternate history where the Manhattan Project used the development of the atomic bomb during World War II as a front for much stranger research? Alcoholic Einstein as a protagonist? Evil Freemason Harry Truman and FDR turned into an AI program? Sign me up. Writer Jonathan Hickman has his fingers in every pie these days, but The Manhattan Projects is unquestionably his crowning achievement. Hilarious, violent, and exceedingly weird.

Artist Nick Pitarra's creepy Where's Waldo-meets-Rugrats artwork features shaky lines and strangely proportioned humans... in a good way. And I don't think I ever fully appreciated colorists in comics until I came across Jordie Bellaire's work in Manhattan Projects. Turns out she's the colorist for about half of my favorite comics. It was a tough decision, but The Manhattan Projects is the best comic book series of 2013.

The Pull List: September 11, 2013

I read too many comics.  It's a habit that so far has only benefited my local comic shop.  That changes now as you can learn from the mistakes of my purchases, and perhaps even be intrigued to check out some of the cool picture books of the week.  There's always the option to make fun of my tastes, too.

Marvel

-Captain America #11 (Rick Remender, Carlos Pacheco)

Dealing with the aftermath of being trapped in a hostile dimension for twelve years, this issue takes on a more low key tone as it shows Captain America getting reacquainted with the present day.  What this results in is a rather touching character moment as he tries to let go of the past so that he can move forward and protect the present.  Some might find it corny, but I thought it was well done.  Carlos Pacheco's art remains remarkably similar enough to the established look of the book that the transition in artists is seamless; I suspect the colorist is to thank for maintaining consistency.  Nuke's appearance in the subplot assures an interesting set of upcoming issues as it will provide Cap with a nice ideological foil as well as someone to punch.  

-Deadpool #16 (Brain Posehn, Gerry Duggan, Declan Shalvey)

Comedy takes a backseat as the current story arc really cranks it in gear.  Laughs are to be had, but they're more a result of the general setting, North Korea, and some humor can be found if you're really into dark stuff.  I'd like to take a moment and mention that this is a story about Deadpool breaking out of a North Korean prison/experiment camp.  Who doesn't want to read that?  The set-up is a great homage to Barry Windsor Smith's classic "Weapon X."  Along the way there are some very tight action sequences, and once again Shalvey impresses me.  If you're still on the fence about checking out this issue then I have three words for you: North Korean X-Men. 

The Pull List: Two-In-One June 12 and 19, 2013

I read too many comics.  It's a habit that so far has only benefited my local comic shop.  That changes now as you can learn from the mistakes of my purchases, and perhaps even be intrigued to check out some of the cool picture books of the week.  There's always the option to make fun of my tastes, too.

Since there's a lot of ground to cover I'll try to be brief

Marvel

-Deadpool #11 (Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan, Mike Hawthorne)

Hijinks continue to ensue as Deadpool runs down a creep who sold his soul so that he could perv out. The comedy action remains to hit the right beats and stay fresh.

-Wolverine and the X-Men #31 (Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw)

We get a look inside the Hellfire Academy for future evil mutants. Wolverine will eventually get his claws into this new Hellfire Club, and the way Aaron is building to it will make that moment so much sweeter.

-Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (Brian Michael Bendis, Steve McNiven, Sara Pichelli)

Decent story. Bad characterization. Cool drawings. Not so hot redesigns.

-Uncanny Avengers #9 (Rick Remender, Daniel Acuña)

I wonder if there are people reading this that didn't read Uncanny X-Force? Read that first if you haven't and catch up on this, because Remender is in for the glorious long haul.

-Superior Spider-Man #12 (Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Giuseppe Camuncoli)

Superior is still an interesting read, and it still is something I wouldn't hand to a kid who wants to read a Spider-Man comic.  Not necessarily because it is "mature," but because I want kids to see superheroes as heroic. Setting out to end someone's life is certainly not heroic (it can still make for a great comic if that's your thing).