Fave Comics Of 2015: Sean Jordan (a.k.a. Wordburglar)

Photo © Peter Chapman

2015 was another amazing year for comics. To prove it, I’ve got a long-box brimming with floppy-covered gold sitting underneath a shelf of glossily coated gems. Thanks to my skilled comic book sorting methods, finding the comics I loved this year was easy. Selecting my absolute favourites? Well that’s tougher than giving Xemnu the Living Titan a lice inspection.

But I shall proceed!

Here then, in no particular order, for your reading pleasure (and potential debate) are ten of my personal favourite funnybooks from 2015*.

My Favourite Monthly Comics of 2015 (a.k.a. the “I can’t wait for the trade” pile):

Stray Bullets by David Lapham
The characters in Stray Bullets are so incredibly well-defined you’ll have to keep double checking that you’re reading a comic book and not eavesdropping on sociopathic strangers. While there are light moments, this is a very heavy series about the consequences of violence, drugs, and revenge, brilliantly written and illustrated by David Lapham. For my money, it’s easily one of the greatest crime comics on the racks, and if you’ve never read it I highly encourage you to check out the giant-sized Stray Bullets: Uber Alles collected edition. A must read.

Black Science by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera
Imagine our reality was just a layer of a giant onion made up of other realities, with similarities and differences each more bizarre than the last. Now imagine what would happen if a scientist figured all this out and then built a way to travel between those realities, for better or for (mostly) worse. Oh, and what if he took his kids, his mistress, and a group of reticent peers with him? In a nutshell (in an onion?) that’s what Black Science by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera is about. It’s crazy-ass sci-fi drama as weird as it comes and it’s engaging as all get out.

Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
There are no countries in the future, only a handful of rich families who hold their wealth over the rest of the world. If you don’t provide something useful to one of these families, you’re considered part of the enormous “waste” and your life most definitely sucks. And since pretty much everybody hates these families, they need super protection for all their members and interests at all times. That’s where the Lazari come in, sworn to defend and kill for their families until death. Forever Carlyle is the bio-genetically enhanced loyal Lazarus of her family, but as we’re starting to learn, her loyalty may have its limits. If dystopian post-governmental deception, biological intrigue, and the eternal struggle of the human spirit are your bag, then Greg Rucka and Michael Lark’s Lazarus will fit nicely inside it. Plus, Forever is a total badass.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra
The ongoing interplanetary fairy tale about a sexy alien couple and their adorable space baby is pretty impossible to resist. It’s funny, sad, weird, gross, naked, violent, and more naked, and it’s pretty much everything comics should be–plus it’s got an engaging letters page in the back of every issue. Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra are doing a lot of great things in this series and I hope it has a long way to go before wrapping up. I’m probably not the first person to tell you I love Saga, but I’m sure I won’t be the last.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
Kirkman injected a whole new world of life into TWD in 2014 when he jumped the story forward 10 years (distancing himself from the pseudo-TV continuity) and introducing the disturbingly freakish nomads known as the Whisperers. 2015 pushed that story forward, exploring the mythology of the Whisperers and featuring one of the most chilling scenes in the entire series (issue #144). The Walking Dead team knows how to create a monthly book that keeps you craving the next one, and after 12 years of trudging through the muck with these characters, this is still my favourite way to get my Walking Dead fix.

Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley
Two Kirkman books on this list? What can I say, the guy knows how to make addictive monthly comics. For years Invincible boasted the self-mocking subtitle “Probably the best Superhero comic in the universe” and as somebody who’s been reading superhero comics my entire life, I gotta say I’m inclined to agree. 125+ issues deep, Invincible continues to twist and push the boundaries of what a superhero comic can be. To me it reads like the best adventures of Spider-Man, Justice League, and Savage Dragon all rolled into one, and the jaw-dismantling artwork of superstar Ryan Ottley incredulously keeps getting better (seriously, I’m starting to think he’s an actual Viltrimite). Anything can happen, nobody’s safe and you never know what’s coming next–just be sure to add it to your pile so you can find out.

G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero by Larry Hama and SL Gallant
If you know me, seeing G.I.JOE here probably comes as no surprise. In 2008 when IDW Comics convinced Larry Hama to return to the iconic characters he helped create after a 14-year hiatus, the collective GIJOE comic book fandom pretty much lost our minds. IDW were clearly fans themselves and have allowed Mr. Hama to do pretty much whatever the heck he wants with this series, which has led to some awesome stories. Sure this one is strictly for GIJOE nerds, but since that happens to be me, I couldn’t be happier it’s this good. Now if only they’d let Larry Hama write the movies.

Star Wars By Jason Aaron, John Cassaday and Stuart Immonen
I read Marvel’s Star Wars comics as a kid. They were action-packed, galaxy hopping, crazy (and at times goofy) fun. But there was something about them that never quite “felt” like Star Wars. Maybe it was the disproportionate amount of bunny-themed characters (Jaxxon?? The Hoojibs???) or the myriad bizarre liberties Marvel took with the license in the 1980s that just didn’t seem to jibe with what we saw in the films. That all changed when Marvel–now owned by Disney (just like Star Wars)–took back the reigns in 2015 and gave them to Jason Aaron and a slew of talented creators. Simply put, Jason Aaron’s Star Wars FEELS like Star Wars. The characters speak, look, and act just like their film counterparts and the stories fit seamlessly into the established film universe. If you’re itching for more Star Wars do yourself a favour and check out the collection of volume one by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday. Yub nub!

My Favourite Collections of 2015 (a.k.a. the “I liked them so much I bought the trade” pile):

Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve comics have always mesmerized me. His artwork is beautifully clean, quiet, and able to convey the subtleties of everyday life perfectly. His characters are sad and hilarious, the dialogue never feels forced, and the stories may break your heart. This latest collection is no exception to his previous works and might just be my favourite yet.

The Private Eye by Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin
In the future the Internet is a thing of the past. Gone are the over-sharing and encroaching ways of our time in favour of hidden identities and mega-privacy. Society goes to so much trouble to protect their identities that the world pretty much operates in a full-time state of cosplay. Everyone from your doctor to your mom has a disguise and real names are taboo. Now what happens when someone goes missing or gets murdered? Well, that’s where things really get interesting. Originally only available digitally, this gripping yarn is now available in a full-colour hardcover edition. My only problem with this collection is its shape, as it’s really awkward to read in bed–but on the plus side the story is so interesting it’s hard to fall asleep reading it.

Honorable Mentions (a.k.a. the “if I had more space to write about” pile):

Eight by Rafael Albuquerque and Mike Johnson

Southern Bastards by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour

Low by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini

We Can Never Go Home by Matthew Rosenberg and Josh Hood

The Violent by Ed Brisson and Adam Gorham

Daredevil by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee

Descender by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen

*My Favourites are based on comic books that found their way into my atmosphere over the course of 2015. Literally hundreds of new comic books come out EVERY MONTH, so I’m sure there’s tons of great stuff I haven’t read or even heard of yet. If I missed one you loved, let me know @Wordburglar on Twitter.

Sean Jordan (a.k.a. Wordburglar) is a rapper, podcaster, and writer of the comic books Snakor’s Pizza and The Last Paper Route. You can find him at www.wordburglar.com.