As I've mentioned before, 2015 was the year of sequential art for me and I really loved exploring what the format has to offer. For the sake of this list, I'm only counting comics that have been published in bound volumes. Otherwise it would be WAY too complicated.
I noticed I don't really review comics/graphic novels here, because I'm not sure if it's too niche an interest. Let me know if you feel otherwise and maybe I'll consider ~changing my ways~.
1. // Rat Queens, Vol. 1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe
I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed with volume one (Sass & Sorcery) and I'm obsessed with volume two which actually came out this year. The characters are just phenomenal, the story is fun, and the dialogue is hilarious. Always excited to get a new issue in my pull.
2. // Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Yup, I finally started Saga. And got caught up with Saga. Realizing that I had no more volumes to read in the middle of the year was absolutely devastating, because this series absolutely lives up to all the hype. READ IT.
3. // Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
This standalone graphic novel simultaneously gave me all the feelings and made me feel not well-read at all. Bechdel is super smart and incredible at story telling. Her life is worth hearing about. It will definitely move you.
4. // Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Sweet, sweet Nimona. This is a graphic novel that's technically for kids, but it is pure unadulterated fun at any age. An absolute hilarious delight to read.
5. // Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick
BADASS. SO GOOD. Like Orange is the New Black in space. But more sci-fi-y. You don't need me to tell you how glorious this feminist series is. I'm sure you've already heard.
6. // Lumberjanes, Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson
This series for kids is also a delight to read at any age and, SURPRISE, it's written by the same beautiful person. Stevenson really knocked it out of the park with volume one and volume two of Lumberjanes. Girl power! Friendship! Magic!
7. // The Divine by Boaz Lavie
I wrote about how beautiful this is before, and I still find myself plucking it off the shelf at the bookstore just to gaze at the colors. A graphic novel with a Princess Mononoke feel, you will be unsettled and in awe.
8. // Black Hole by Charles Burns
Black Hole is perhaps the weirdest thing I read/saw all year. If weird sex-related mutations is off putting to you, maybe don't check this one out. But I really loved it. The black and white illustrations are bizarre and the story will leave you saying "what the fuck" every other page. It's a good one.
9. // Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Kelly Sue DeConnick can do no wrong. I'm so excited that this series started its second arc and I'm getting Pretty Deadly in my pull a year or so after the first volume was published. Manga-y western magic folklore is my new favorite genre.
10. // X'ed Out by Charles Burns
And by X'ed Out, I pretty much just mean the entire trilogy that this book begins. Charles Burns' work is so startling and strange. It's like a beautiful acid trip of a car crash that I can't look away from. And it helped that the plot sort of vaguely reminded me of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, everyone's favorite Gameboy Advance game (right?).
What was your favorite comic or graphic novel of 2015?