Let's Talk About My Favorite Comics Of 2021

Hi, I'm David Harth and this week is going to be a little different than what was advertised in my last column. That's right, we won't be talking about Alan Moore. Instead, I'm going to talk about my favorite comics of this year. Part of me was going to do it in some kind of countdown order, but I've decided against that. I'm just going to list off my favorite books, and we can just go from there. So, let's get started with an honorable mention from a comic that didn't come out this year.

These Savage Shores

So, I've become a convert to the religion of Ram V. I just started reading his DC stuff this year and love it. After getting on Twitter, I found out about 2019's These Savage Shores, where V and artist Sumit Kumar tear it up. Part cool monster story, part commentary on colonialism; it's just an amazing comic. There's some wonderful heartfelt moments in there, great action, tremendous art, and smart social commentary. V is such a talented writer, and anyone who reads this story and doesn't like it, well, I don't know what to say. Like, just go out and buy it. It's well worth it.

Wolverine

Yeah, so this isn't a surprise to anyone who reads my reviews. I'm an old-school Wolverine fan, and writer Benjamin Percy hits the sweet spot for me. He writes Logan perfectly, capturing the savagery and nobility of the man. I love his short story arcs; the way he builds plot lines and then pays them off later. On top of that, the book is drawn by Adam Kubert more often than not. Sure, he can't work monthly for any long periods, but he's turning in some of the best work of his career. Wolverine isn't changing the face of the comic industry, and Lord knows most of the X-Men line is a sinking ship, but this is just a fun book, month in and month out.

Infinite Frontier

Since DC Rebirth ended, DC has gotten kind of rough. Even books I liked weren't the greatest, and the fact that no one really knew what was going on with continuity other than that it existed was kind of weird. Death Metal was cool and all, but as far as it goes, the best part of it was where it left the DC Multiverse. Infinite Frontier #0 picked up from there, following in the footsteps of DC's best status quo changing one-shots. It was a great book with a great tease, and none of us figured it would lead into a miniseries. It did, and it was awesome. Writer Josh Williamson was joined by artists Xermanico, Paul Pelletier, Jesus Merino, and Tom Derenick for a big multiverse spanning tale that starred Calvin Ellis Superman, Flashpoint Batman, Roy Harper, Jade, Obsidian, Alan Scott, Darkseid, the Justice Society, Psycho Pirate, Director Bones, Chase, and more I'm probably forgetting. It was amazing, a multiversal mystery that set up the next phase of the DC Multiverse. There was action, there was an adventure, it was amazing. Williamson and the artists killed it, and it had the best cast that any DC stan could ask for.

Strange Adventures

Strange Adventures, by writer Tom King and artists Mitch Gerads and Evan "Doc" Shaner, started in 2020, but most of its run took place in 2021. Look, I know that King isn't for everyone, but he's definitely for me, and Strange Adventures is everything he does well. A war story, a mystery, and a family drama, it's one of those books that grabs you and doesn't let go. Gerads does the sections in the present, the mystery segments starring Mister Terrific, and Shaner does the flashback sections on Rann. Their styles perfectly fit the type of stories being told in each book segment, and King just kills throughout. This is a writer who knows how to write for his artists and he does that here. King does his superhero deconstruction thing with Adam Strange, which is just perfect. This book is a roller coaster, and if King and Gerads don't get to do a Mister Terrific book at some point, well, we riot. A sci-fi mystery alien invasion with DC's most underrated heroes? Yeah, dude. Read it and find out what the hype is about.

The Flash

So, I'm a Wally West fan. I grew up with him as Flash, and he's my dude. So, I was thrilled when he was brought back in DC Rebirth #1 but not so thrilled when DiDio struck and had Tom King destroy the character in Heroes In Crisis (which I actually like more than most people but don't tell anyone). So, when Wally was made the star of The Flash again, I was thrilled. Writer Jeremy Adams and artists Brandon Peterson, Fernando Pasarin, Will Conrad, and a mess of others brought him back, and it is stunning. The Flash is a must-read book again, and that's because Adams knows what makes Wally work. Jai and Iris are back, Linda is back, and it's just so good. The last issue, The Flash #776, is one of the most fun comics I've ever read.

Once And Future

Once And Future has been killing for its entire run, and 2021's bunch of issues is no exception. Writer Kieron Gillen and artist Dan Mora are turning in one of the best fantasy books month in and month out. Gillen is taking British folklore and recasting it, using it to talk about his homeland and how those stories have influenced it while also just making an exciting story full of great characters and twists and turns. Dan Mora is one of comics' hardest working artists, and he brings his own personal design aesthetic to the whole thing. He adds a liberal dose of Power Rangers to some of the designs and goes traditional with others. Shout out to one of the industry's best colorist Tamra Bonvillain, who takes Mora's pencils and brings them to the next level. Few colorists know how to set a scene as well as she does. She's the best of the best, just like this book.

Crossover

Writer Donny Cates and artist Geoff Shaw's Crossover has had me from issue one, but it just keeps better. Issue seven, the Chip Zdarsky written and Phil Hester drawn fill-in issue, is one of my favorite books this year and took the comic into the next level for me. Since then, Cates has taken the story in a different direction from before, been joined by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, and basically created one of the most entertaining books around. It's a fun meta ride and I love the characters. I'm so invested in what's coming next and where Cates, Shaw, and whoever else they're going to bring in is going to go next. How does this crossover end, and will it go the way the exposition in the first issue told us? I'm not a Cates super fan, but I love his indie stuff (and Hulk so far), and this book is just so good.

Wonder Woman: Historia Book One

Let's be real- Wonder Woman: Historia Book One is an amazing work of art. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick was joined by Wonder Woman legend Phil Jimenez and they. Turned. It. Out. Jimenez has been one of the best artists in the industry for a long time, and this book shows that he hasn't lost a step. The page composition, the design, the figure work, all of it is just so amazing. Have you seen Olympia and the Greek Gods before? Well, you've never seen them like this. Every piece of art in this book is amazing, and even if the script was lesser, this would still be one of the best-looking comics to come out all year. Luckily, the script is amazing. DeConnick does an amazing job with it. It's pretty much everything you'd want out of the origin of the Amazons. It's feminist as fuck, because of course it is, and that's just the beginning. Jimenez may have designed it, but DeConnick laid down the groundwork and the end of the book, introducing a familiar character, is heartbreaking. This is a beautiful comic in all ways, and I can't wait for Book Two, even though Jimenez won't be drawing it.

Eternals

Eternals, by writer Kieron Gillen and artist Esad Ribic, is one of Marvel's best books and has been since the beginning. Gillen was the perfect choice for this book. He takes all of the groundwork laid by Kirby and Gaiman and adds his own twist to it. He leans into the sci-fi, explaining the Eternals in a way that few others have. Bringing in Thanos was an inspired choice, and Gillen seems to get the character in a way that few other modern writers do. All of the Eternals are excellently done, and the book's action is amazing. It pretty much has everything anyone could want, and that's not even getting to Esad Ribic's art. Much like Gillen, Ribic is the perfect artist for this book. He doesn't do a Kirby pastiche, just brings his regal style to things. His action scenes are exquisitely laid out, as usual, and while his faces have this weird derpy quality to them sometimes, it's more than worth it. Matthew Wilson's coloring really makes Ribic's art that much better, too, as the best colorists always do. The creative team is making a breathtaking comic, and that's not even counting the one-shots that Gillen does so the main book doesn't have to have fill-in artists. Thanos Rising with Dustin Weaver is one of the best Thanos origins ever, and Celestia with Kei Zama takes the Avengers One Million BC and actually finds a way to make them important, something Jason Aaron has been trying and failing to do for years. Eternals is amazing.

New Mutants

I'm gonna be real for a second when Vita Ayala started their run on New Mutants post X Of Swords; I wasn't in love with it yet. It felt kind of slow and didn't really grab me at first. If I'm being honest, I'm too young to be a fan of a lot of the classic '80s New Mutants who make up most of the book's cast, and it took me a bit to get into it. In fact, saying I was a bigger fan of Children Of The Atom is safe. New Mutants took time to grab me, but when it did, I realized the brilliance of the book. So far, my favorite X-Men ongoings- Wolverine, X-Force, and this one-all are written like throwback comics but in completely different ways. Ayala has an overarching story arc, with Shadow King manipulating the team, but they didn't do it in a conventional, written-for-the-trade manner. Beyond that, their book was the only one that seemed like it was about community. Krakoa is supposedly for all mutants, but I never really got a feel for it anywhere except for the many orgies. Ayala made the New Mutants and their students feel like people that actually loved and cared about each other, actual friends working together. That is what is missing from the Krakoa era, and Ayala delivers it. Their characterization is amazing, and they made Shadow King better than ever before. Artist Rod Reis is an acquired taste, and it's one that I don't always like, but much like Ayala's writing, it's grown on me. His impressionistic style has proven perfect for this story, and it's gotten better with every issue, especially the last few. This is an amazing book, and it's one of the best on the shelves every month.

All Of The Superman Books

Let's be real for a second: the Superman books haven't been this good in ages. Action Comics by writer Philip Kennedy Johnson and artist Daniel Sampere is amazing and has been since Johnson took over. At first, he was writing this and Superman, telling a story about fathers and sons. It was beautiful, and he's only gotten better, especially with the Warworld Saga. Just so good. Superman: Son Of Kal-El, by writer Tom Taylor and artists John Timms and Daniele Di Nicuolo, is one of the biggest comics of the year. Taylor had to make the argument for Jon Kent as Superman and handle his coming out, and it worked amazingly. This is a pitch-perfect Superman book, and there's no denying it. Finally, we come to Superman And The Authority by writer Grant Morrison and artists Mikal Janin, Fico Ossio, Evan Cagle, and Travel Foreman, the best Superman comic of the year. It's Morrison's last DC work for the foreseeable future, and once again, Morrison shows everyone how it's done. Their Superman is a sexy dad, his powers failing him, against his first foe, the Ultra-Humanite. It reintroduces the Authority to the DC Universe and is just sensational. Morrison makes it look easy, and if this is their last work on Superman, it's perfect. DC has been killing it in 2021, and with Superman being this good in every book he's in, well, that's a great thing. I need to re-read Superman And The Authority in one sitting.

Nightwing

Nightwing, by writer Tom Taylor and artists Bruno Redondo, Rick Leonardi, Neil Edwards, and Robbi Rodriguez, is the best superhero book on the shelves, and I won't hear anything else about it. I love Nightwing, but I noped right out after a while with Ric Grayson. I stayed away until now, and Jesus, this was the best time to come back. Taylor takes that one thing that every leftist Batman fan wants Batman to do- use his money to help the poor- and has Nightwing do it. He puts Dick and Babs back together, gives him a puppy, and starts some all-new Bludhaven drama. I'm only reading this book out of all the Batman realted titles but I loved his Fear State crossover issues without knowing anything about the story. The fill-in artists have all been amazing, but none of them, and honestly few other artists currently working, can hang with Bruno Redondo. He's hit a new level with the art on this book and I haven't even read this month's issue, where it's all one continuous panel yet. He and Taylor are one of the best teams in comics, and we are all here for it. This is one of those books that I can't wait to read every month, and I'm not alone. This book is the best, and that's all there is to it.

So, there it is. Those are my favorite books of 2021. If you agree with me, let me know on Twitter. If you don't, let me know on Twitter. Just follow me on Twitter. I get into great arguments and fuck with ComicsGaters. Ethan Van Sciver threatened to sue me. It's great. Anyone, come back next time, where we'll talk about Alan Moore like we were supposed to in this installment. Have a happy New Year, y'all!