2022 started to turn out to be one of best years in a long time for comic book fans. The X-Men, Batman, and Superman franchises are all full of energy. Thanks to novels like The Nice House on the Lake and The Night Eaters, the horror genre is thriving.
And, with the emergence of Substack as well as other comicbooks publishers, there is now more room than ever for daring and groundbreaking stories. These are our picks for 2022’s Best Comic Book Series!
DC Comics’ Superman Relaunch
The Superman comic book boundary has rarely been as strong as it was in 2022, in large part due to Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run on Action Comics. Even as Clark Kent’s son Jon has assumed the legacy of Superman on Earth, Johnson’s “Warworld Saga” has tried to push the original Man of Steel far beyond his comfort zone.
This story portrays Superman as a resistance fighter leading the fight against the tyrannical Mongul, capturing everything which helps make this hero so uplifting and compelling. The franchise will return to a more conventional status quo in 2023, but Johnson’s work with Superman is clearly just getting started.
Fantastic Four: Full Circle
The very first earliest graphic novel to emerge from Marvel and Abrams Books’ partnership deal pays tribute to the quintessential Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Fantastic Four era. It’s also Alex Ross’s first graphic novel, both written and illustrated. Ross seizes the opportunity to experiment with his iconic style in daring new directions.
Unlike the acquainted Rockwellian strategy of Marvels, Full Circle embraces the Silver Age’s pure, psychedelic imagination and the Fantastic Four franchise’s endless storytelling possibilities. There isn’t a better-looking comic out this year, and humans absolutely can not wait to see how Ross goes from here.
The Immortal X-Men
Once “Head of X” Jonathan Hickman unexpectedly left after 2021’s Inferno, X-Men fans were understandably concerned. Luckily, this year has demonstrated that the film series is still in capable hands. Kieron Gillen’s Immortal X-Men, in particular, is the finest X-book to arrive along after House of X and Powers of X so significantly upended the status quo in 2019.
This series focuses on the Quiet Council, which rules so over mutant nation of Krakoa, and investigates the growing schisms and rivalries that emerge as Krakoa’s honeymoon period wears off. This is the X-Men comic that every fan should be reading, with subtle characters, consistently brilliant art from of the prefers of Lucas Werneck and Michele Bandini, and Gillen’s everytime delightful sense of humor.
The Flash
In recent years, DC has been unkind to Wally West. Wally has been in desperate need of redemption after being wiped out in the New 52 and turning into a murderer inside the contentious Heroes in Crisis. Fortunately, author Jeremy Adams is doing exactly that in the webpage of The Flash.
Since DC initiated its Infinite Frontier initiative in 2021, the series has been completely overhauled and revitalized, enabling Adams to construct a genuinely having won blend of high-concept adventure and heartwarming Flash Family dynamics. The series has never been better since the days of Flash legends Mark Waid and Geoff Johns.
Clementine: Book One
Whereas the primary Walking Dead comic book ended abruptly in 2019, this same franchise has continued in other forms. And we’re so glad it did. Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden the first in a new trilogy of picture books centered on the supporter main character of Telltale’s Walking Dead games.
This graphic novel, set after the games, continues to follow Clem’s battle to relocate on and end up leaving the trauma of helen past behind. But, as is customary in the Walking Dead multiverse, the zombie swarms are only one of her problems.