Best Reads Comic Books of 2024

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's my last list of 2024! Thank goodness!

I think it’s a shame that nobody writes end-of-the-year lists for comic books.

And this is a shame because comic books are really awesome.

I won’t go on a whole rant, but comics are worth looking into. So many of the movies and TV shows that we love right now originated as comics, and the medium deserves to be taken just as seriously as any art form. When we decide as people that some art is less important than others, we only limit our point of view, and rob ourselves of meaningful experiences.

So I will do it. I will be one of the champions of this medium that I love so much. Watch me put on my cape and mask because here I go.

Here is my last list of favorite things for 2024. I hope you enjoy it.

Favorite Comics 2024

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 🦸‍♀️ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

10. Shazam! (2023) by Mark Waid, Josie Cambell, and Various Artists

“I save a bus. It’s full of Gorillas. I fly them to their hidden city in the jungle. One of them takes me aside to whisper that we’re about to be bombed by the Emperor of the Moon. Does that really make sense? ……. YEP!”

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Champion of Shazam! was on my list of favorite comics last year, and I am happy to put the Marvel family on my list again this year. The DC team has just done a really great job with the Shazam mythos lately.

If you aren’t familiar with Shazam!, the story follows a boy named Billy after he is given the ability to turn into a superhero that harnesses the power of the Greek gods. It’s your standard superhero fair but it manages to stand out with how much it embraces the goofiness and charm of comics. Like, hello, it has dinosaurs from outer space in it. Who wouldn’t want to read that?

Shazam’s! consistency also matters to me. The trend of most superhero books nowadays is to forget about civilian dramas and character arcs. A lot of books coming out right now sort of just shove as many cameos and interdimensional exploits as they can into their limited spread space.

But Shazam! is different. Instead, it is the growing pains of Billy and his family that the writers choose to focus on in between action scenes. This is just nice, especially since the characters and their relationships are what makes any long-running series feel special.

If you aren’t a fan of superheroes, this isn’t going to probably do it for you. However, if you want something fun that blends classic golden-age comics with modern storytelling, the Big Red Cheese won’t let you down.

Just say the magic word and he’ll be there.

9. Transformers (2023) by Daniel Warren Johnson // Void Rivals by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici

“You’re kind have played with this planet enough. I will have no more of it!” // “What was once one must become whole again… or perish.”

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If you told me at the beginning of 2024 that the new Transformers comics would be two of my favorite books this year, I would say you were joking.

But here we are.

I have a favorite Transformer now, and his name is Cliff Jumper.

As someone who has never cared about Transformers, I am impressed by how well these books have done this year. Both are fun to read together, but at the moment, are still completely stand-alone series that can be read independently from one another.

Void Rivals follows two warriors from rival races as they attempt to survive on a desolate planet. Transformers is…. about Transformers.

So far, it’s the same basic plot of “Oh no! Giant robots have landed on Earth and are fighting each other” that all Transformers media seems to do. Except for this time, the story is coked up on nonstop violence and explorations on PTSD.

?????

I’m sorry… what?

I just never thought I would get so invested in Optimus Prime trying to be a good guy while dealing with the horrors of war. Void Rivals is also incredibly fun in its own way. Creating an epic space opera that manages to give a fresh sense of worldbuilding to this long-running series is just incredibly cool to me. It has good action, complicated characters, and, so far, has an interesting mystery.

Maybe there are other Transformer things out there that are just as exciting, but I doubt it.

I PROMISE IT’S WORTH IT. MATTEL IS CRAZY FOR THIS ONE YALL

8. The Hunger and the Dusk- by G. Willow Wilson and Chris Wildgoose

“The fires must run their course.”

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It’s nice when you find a fantasy series that manages to make familiar tropes feel like new again. The Hunger and the Dusk, on the surface, is your average fantasy stock. Two races are at war and must put aside their differences in order to save the world. It’s basically Romeo and Juliet but with humans and orcs. But also global warming. And also fun little bards. Oh, and scary ghouls.

Can’t forget the freaky ghouls.

What the Hunger and the Dusk lacks in originality, it more than makes up in execution. For both novels and comics, Hunger and the Dusk has been my go-to fantasy rec this year for something easy to get into yet action-packed. All the characters are really likable and the story is nicely done. It knows what it is, and it does it beautifully.

Plus, it’s got hot orcs in it.

That alone should be enough to convince you to give it a shot.

7. The Boy Wonder- by Juni Ba

“I was too weak to prevent your pain, but today I can put an end to it.”

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There is a special place in my heart for DC’s affinity to put out books that feel like children’s books but are made for an older audience. The Boy Wonder is pretty simple. It follows Robin as he attempts to stop an evil monster and gain Batman’s approval. The story is narrated as a fairy tale and each chapter focuses on a different person in Robin’s life.

What makes this story stand out is how much care Juni Ba gives to the depictions of the supporting characters and to Robin’s story of redemption. I am a big fan of Batman comics, and I really appreciate how Ba chooses to portray a kinder side of Gotham. Most days it can feel like writers are either afraid or uninterested in the lighter side of the Dark Knight.

Best part is also the art. Ba’s cartoony style is so unique. The way he blends African art into his stylistic choices is really nice, especially for a book specifically about Middle Eastern characters. If you want to read a quick, charming superhero adventure, this is the pick for you.

Plus you get to see all these teeny tiny robins!

So cute!

6. Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru

“After all, though our yesterdays may be different, we all share the same tomorrow.”

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Speaking of DC kid’s stuff, here is the next book on my list.

Superman Smashes the Klan follows an Asian immigrant girl who reaches out to Superman after her family is targeted by the Ku Klux Klan in 1940s America. At first, I was skeptical of this one. Not because I thought it was going to be bad, but simply because I felt like I would be too old for it.

From the title, the book comes off as very in-your-face with how it depicts race. Which is fine! Kids’ content doesn’t need to be complicated. However, I was surprised by how detailed and nuanced this book was. The book manages to be pretty brutal when depicting how much racism and fear can subtly impact so many. The story, however, remains terribly optimistic and sweet, and the art is incredibly charming. The plot was fun, the character arcs were emotional, and I couldn’t stop smiling by the time I reached the end.

Lots of books try to impart lessons to kids (and to adults!), but few do it with so much thoughtful enthusiasm. Its even more interesting when you learn about Superman’s real impact in taking down the KKK and how this book was inspired by it.

Haters will say Superman has gone woke. True comic fans know he always has been.

5. Richard Stark’s Parker The Complete Collection by Darwyn Cooke

“The hall door was open. There was a man standing there. Bronson had never seen him before in his life, but he knew right away it was Parker. He wasn’t even surprised.”

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Hey, I know that’s a crazy confusing title for a book. But it makes sense once you explain it. The Parker novels were a series of pulp novels written by a guy named Richard Stark back in the 1960s. Darwyn Cooke, the American illustrator, then adapted these novels into comics and won a lot of awards. This collection is the first time all the separate issues were collected into one volume.

Also, Richard Starks’s real name is Donald E. Westlake, and he is also the author of hundreds of other books. I wrote about Westlake already once in my 2024 book review, and I promise he is worth a Google.

Got it?

Okay.

Parker is relatively easy to understand. The series follows a criminal named Parker as he performs various heists and acts of revenge. This comic series is so atmospheric it feels like you are sitting in a fog cloud while reading it. Stark has a writing style that just sings and is the perfect pick for any noir fan.

However, it’s Darwyn Cooke’s art that makes this book. The way he adapted Parker’s prose to panels is just so interesting. So many comic book adaptations of famous novels are just drawings slapped on top of dialogue. The Parker comics are, instead, wildly experimental and feel like you are reading a fully storyboarded screenplay.

The book even comes with a fold-out map. A map! I am absolutely tickled.

I am normally not a fan of bleak books, but I can respect how unapologetically mean Parker the Complete Collection is. It's pure crime pulp, so don’t expect any happy endings. Take it for what it is.

All of America is a crime scene baby. Might as well ride through the yellow tape with style.

4. Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey- By Edel Rodriguez

“Slowly, the line in my leg turned red, then pink, then beige, and then disappeared. The worms died inside of me.”

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This book came out at the end of 2023, right around Christmas, and because of that, a lot of readers missed it. I almost missed it too. It was only my NPR-devoted mother who caught wind of this one. So thank you to her.

Worm is exactly how it sounds. The book is cartoonist Edel Rodriguez’s biography as he details his life in Cuba and immigration to America. This book means a lot to me specifically because I am half Cuban, but it’s Rodriguez’s writing and art style that elevates this book above my personal connections to it.

The book is a hard read but a good one, especially if you aren’t familiar with the history of Cuba and its relationship with the United States. I especially like how Rodriguez is able to tie his story to current political events and how unique his illustrations are.

This book is one of my favorite books of the year, just because of how emotional I get about Rodriguez’s story. I am almost twenty-five years old and have only met a handful of Cubans who weren’t my family. Just seeing that there are people out there like my dad means so much to me.

Ugh…. Here come the tears.

3. On a Sunbeam- Tillie Walden

“It's like the older you get the more you forget that you can change things”

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What if I was a student in a space boarding school, and you also attended that same boarding school? And what if we made out? And we were both girls?

Haha just kidding.

Unless….? 👀

On a Sunbeam is Tillie Walden’s slow-burn space epic about a renovation crew who travels through the depths of space. The story focuses on the character of Mia, and most of the story is split between her present and her past. The whole book is a very subtle coming-of-age story that uses imagery, color, and paneling in such creative ways. Don’t ask me about the symbolism of doors in this book. Because I will and I will talk about it for SO long.

I love Sci-Fi books and all of their many forms, but very few are this character-driven or cozy. Walden is just very good at creating characters that are flawed yet likable. No part of this book leaves you wanting, since every relationship and character arc are brought to the perfect end.

On a Sunbeam feels like a Ghibli movie on the printed page. I read it twice this year alone and already want to pick it up again. If you want a beautiful novel about the persistence of love and friendship, this is the story for you.

2. Extremity- By Daniel Warren Johnson

“Thea of the Roto Plains. I name you artist.”

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And now on the exact opposite side of the spectrum from On a Sunbeam, we have Extremity.

Daniel Warren Johnson most certainly is my favorite comic book creator actively working today. This year I set a soft goal of myself to read more of his catalogue and in one year I have managed to complete almost all of it. It’s really hard to pick a favorite book. (After all, I already put him on this list once already. His current ongoing is Transformers up above.)

However…. there is something about Extremity.

Extremity follows a former artist turned warrior as her clan embarks on a revenge quest across a monster-filled sci-fi world. I want to write a whole essay about Johnson’s work and how it deals with the concepts of violence, but just know this; the art is bloody, the monsters are rad, and the story is tragic.

This book is about pain and the endless cycles it creates, but never feels like a hoaky “revenge is bad” type story. Johnson has this uncanny ability to deliver stories with such emotion while at the same time looking cool as hell. There is other work in Johnson’s catalogue that has more reveals or elements of humor, but I appreciate Extremity’s world and the characters that inhabit it. The ending is what still leaves me thinking after all this time.

That and the giant praying mantis.

So cool…..

1. Gotham Central- By Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, and various artists

If you know anything about comics, you know that Gotham Central is a name that is thrown around quite a lot. Its influence on comic book culture and movies is nothing to bat an eye at. Caped Crusader was one of the shows on my favorite watches for this year, and you can draw a direct line from this 2002 comic to that show more than twenty years later.

Back in January of 2024, I focused on trying to diversify my reading from just superhero ongoings. I picked Gotham Central as my first back issue selection.

“This will be it,” I thought. “This will be enough to last me a while”

I finished all 966ish pages in a matter of days. It was only the middle of January.

I love this book and I think its’s worth all the praise it gets.

Gotham Central is a comic series about a group of Gotham City Policy officers and their struggles living and working in Gotham City. It’s essentially a very good police procedural set behind a comic book backdrop. If you love Batman this is the book for you. If you hate Batman this is still the book for you.

The characters are great, the art is gritty, the dialogue is snappy. It’s the type of book that sucks you right in. Gotham Central is just so good at conveying the actual horror and frustration of being a normal human in a world of superheroes. All of the mysteries are satisfying, and every arc is perfectly paced. Danger feels real in Gotham Central. Most pieces of media, not just superhero comics, can’t pull that off.

Even without the superheroes, a book about the struggles of morality and justice still feels incredibly current for this day and age. I also can’t forget to mention how important this book was for queer people in comics back when it came out. Even if a little dated, Renee Montoya’s whole character arc is what makes this book so good.

The best part is that this book is almost completely stand-alone. It helps to be familiar with some of these characters, but it’s not necessary (if you know who the Joker is, you are probably fine).

And if you have no idea what Batman is or want to do a little extra reading for this book, then please give a shoutout. I might have an actual reading list for Gotham Central, and share any links to out of print stuff.

Because yes, comics come off as very overwhelming to get into. But it’s a new year and nobody has to do it alone.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・.・。.・゜✫・𓆩⟡𓆪・✫・゜・。.・゜゜・．*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Okay, that’s it. Phew. I had no idea these three lists would take me so long. If I decide to do this again next year, I will have a much better idea of how to go about this and how much time I will need.

If you read all three, thanks! If not, that’s okay too!

I’m just happy I did it.

Bye-bye for now!