Five Comic Book Series You Should Be Reading In 2018
So far I’ve found 2018 for comic books to be the complete opposite for the year’s movies. For instance, my top 10 films of the year list is looking rather bleak while my comics list is abundant with top tier stories. Hey, keep ’em coming! I’d rather have a top 10 list that is forever changing as opposed to one that is stagnant and empty. These titles have proven to be attention grabbers with great stories and great art that just don’t stop…unless it’s a mini-series, then, you know, that’s pretty finite. The titles in this group each have their own unique characteristics that put them on the list as recommended reading. Here are five comic book titles for 2018 that you shouldn’t be passing up.
What I like about this list is how these works span a number of publishers. You won’t find a treasure trove all from one house. Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse all brought something to the table that offered either thrills, chills or blood spills. Keep in mind these are all titles that began this year. Most are mini-series and have come to a close or will before the year is over. One is an ongoing series that has left readers anxious with the plethora of paths it can guide us down in the months to come. In no particular order, here are five series you should open your wallet for.
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Dead Hand (Image)
A Cold War operative who has a trail of bodies behind him is now a sheriff in small town America…maybe. The first issue does a brilliant job of developing the history and impact of its main character while also offering up a surprise of smash mouth proportions. Honestly I felt like there wasn’t much to do after that but the proceeding issues have kept up the pace admirably. Dead Hand is the type of title that could end up on a ‘Best Of’ list by year’s end. It is an ongoing series that continues to introduce one OMG moment after another. I’m keeping my lips buttoned on this one for the most part because there is a big twist that is half the fun of this series. Don’t worry, even after that cat’s out of the bag, things are only just beginning.
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The Man of Steel (DC)
The most popular comic book character of all time hasn’t always had my attention. I kind of feel like we all know all we can know about Kal-El and the history of Krypton…but what if the planet’s demise wasn’t what we thought it was? The six-issue mini-series came to close on Independence Day this summer and made sure to deliver a little shock and awe throughout as it was written by wordsmith extraordinaire Brian Michael Bendis. In addition, The Man of Steel set up Bendis’ new ongoing Superman series and is quite proficient in introducing Superman’s new nemesis, one that I could see being a mainstay in his future.
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Koshchei the Deathless (Dark Horse)
Springing forth from the pages of Hellboy, the big red guy’s former adversary got his own six-issue mini-series which started in January and ended this past June. Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola, is responsible for writing duties and absolutely excels here. To be perfectly honest, I have never read a Hellboy comic book. I know, right? How am I on this site writing about comic books? Regardless, this mini-series makes me want to jump into a Hellboy title right now. New Zealand comic book artist Ben Stenbeck draws us that familiar Hellboy-world look as we follow Koshchei’s tormented path from this life to the next and every sword and axe in between. Plus, I love the fact that Koshchei and Hellboy are chatting it up at some random tavern in hell. Did I mention this series excels at establishing atmosphere?
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Thrawn (Marvel)
I was a huge fan of Timothy Zahn’s 2017 novel that canonized the character of Mitth’raw’nuruodo, or Thrawn if you will. Zahn first created the character for the early 1990’s ‘Heir to the Empire’ trilogy of novels that took place five years after Return of the Jedi. While Thrawn was never declared an official character, Disney made that so last year. While you cannot compete with Zahn’s 2017 novel that focused on this member of the mysterious Chiss race, I will say this six-issue series did a very good job of providing an abbreviated re-telling of that book. Also, while I am a fan of the Star Wars Rebels tv series, I must stress that the Thrawn we see on that show is a much more stripped down version of the literary character. On the cartoon, he’s sinister and smart. In the novel and comics, he’s a very cunning, patient and intelligent strategist who serves the Empire as a means to an end.
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The Magic Order (Image)
Yeah I know I said “in no particular order” in the intro but I just realized I inadvertently saved the best for last. The Magic Order is also the only mini-series on this list that is still ongoing (issue 3 just came out last week). From the Kick-Ass mind of Mark Millar, we are introduced to a family of magicians that has a long history of protecting us from the evils that lurk behind the proverbial curtain. When a contingent of malevolent spell casters suddenly appear on the scene, things get absolutely brutal in a hurry. We are currently at the halfway mark for this title and I continue to be astounded with each progressive issue. People fall like dominoes in this series. Let me just say that if Star Wars’ Emperor Palpatine entered this world, every issue would be an Order 66 on magicians. This is easily the most graphic title on the list so I would not recommend this one for younger readers (although Koshchei is no milk and cookies party either).
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I do have a couple other titles in mind that didn’t make this list simply because they’re ongoing and too new. The Immortal Hulk and the new Justice League Dark come to mind right away but the former is only two issues in while the latter only released its inaugural issue. Do I like what I’ve seen out of these two so far? You bet, especially JL Dark, but neither have had a hold lot of time to set the full scene yet to make a judgement. Nevertheless, I say check them out just the same. As for the five above, they are what I call no-brainers in the sense that they are easily worth a blind buy.
