Five Favorites of 2016

It's been a tough year, my friends. Robin Williams died. Prince died. David Bowie died. Wow, this is an awful start to this list. What has not been awful are the comic books that have come out this year! And just like last year I have prepared a list of my favorites. I want to stress that these are not the highest selling, the most popular, or the most important comic books of 2016, but they are my favorite to come out in 2016. So, here is The Panel Biter's Top 5 Favorite Comic Books of 2016!

5. "Howard The Duck"
Chip Zdarsky & Joe Quinones (March 2015-October 2016)

 Man, did this one come out of nowhere. Howard The Duck is one of my favorite comic book characters. Not because being a walking, talking duck is funny (it is), but because he's such an average guy in an above-average universe. His life is only eventful because he isn't the same as every other average person. Just being a duck gets him in trouble! And Zdarsky understands that point and takes it to new heights. Howard teams up with The Guardians of The Galaxy, befriends a lovable punk named Terra, saves the world from The Abundant Gauntlet, deals with Galactus, The Silver Surfer, The Collector, The Stranger, and, of course, Spider-Man. Oh, and a Sentinel with a Punisher-like backstory. By far my favorite story aspect is that Howard's life turns out to be a TV show for an alien television network and that plotline connects to the Marvel Universe as a whole! Zdarsky really blew the duck out of the pond with the second half of this charming, humorous, and thought-provoking series!

4. "Astonishing Ant-Man"
Nick Spencer & Ramon Rosanas (January 2015-October 2016)

 Hail Hydra. Ha, you guys got so mad. Ant-Man is a pretty cool character, but even I'll admit he didn't deserve a comic as great as this. Nick Spencer's Ant-Man is about a few things: heroism, redemption, forgiveness, comedy, and big-and-tall butt-kicking action! But more than anything else it's about a father trying to do right by his daughter. Scott Lang's ex-wife and daughter move out of New York to get away from superhero disasters, but Scott-against his ex's wishes-follows them to L.A. There he sets up a security business, hires some former villains to help him out, and does some crime-fighting on the side. For as average as Scott is as a character, his goofy and realistically humble attitude ends up creating a new superhero (the new Giant-Man), reforming two criminals, and helping his own daughter rejoin the superhero community. More than anything else, Scott makes sacrifices for his daughter. He distances himself to keep her safe, saves her from getting her heart stolen (literally), and even gets himself tossed back in prison for her. Ant-Man may not be the greatest father or superhero in the world, but to Cassie he's the only one that counts.

3. "Detective Comics"
James T. Tynion IV, Eber Ferreira, & Eddy Barrows (June 2016-Ongoing)

 I've talked about this book a lot, but Detective Comics is the best Batman book out right now. Tom King is my boy and Scott Snyder is up there, but Tynion executes everything I want to see in a Batman story, everything I've never seen, and things I never even considered. For this title Batman rallies his cousin Batwoman, former sidekicks Red Robin, Orphan, and Spoiler, and long-time villain Clayface onto his "boot camp" to help defend Gotham from new threats. Batwoman's military father creates a mercenary group of Batmen, the rumored League of Shadows is coming, Batman's earliest victims return to have their revenge, and one of Batman's allies will die in the crossfire. Tynion makes Batwoman badass, he makes Tim Drake the smartest Batman character there is again, and he actually makes Clayface a lovable character! It's crazy! And yet so expertly done. You know what? That's my quote on the book, "It's crazy and expertly done". Print that! I really can't see Tynion slowing down, especially if the amazing art and colors of Eber and Eddy follow him. One thing is for sure, Detective Comics is what I want from DC Comics. Heh. Word play.

2. "The Vision"
Tom King & Gabriel Hernandez Walta (November 2015-October 2016)

 Would you be ready? If a robot man and his robot wife and their robot kids just knocked at your door and said, "Hi, we are The Visions. You're new neighbors"? Would you be ready for that? Tom King and Gabe H. Walta answer that question with a book so heart-grasping I forget it's still a Marvel comic. Let alone a comic about resident C-Lister, The Vision! But no, Tom King takes the "robot playing human" concept and flips it so hard! So The Vision builds himself a family and this family live in the suburbs and-obviously-people are uneasy. They see the Vision kids at school and the Vision wife outside and they post pictures online. And then an old enemy comes knocking while The Vision isn't home. After she murders this villain, Virginia Vision does everything in her power to hide the incident and prevent public fear of The Visions to be proven. This isn't the story of The Vision and his average family. This is a cold, quiet, disturbing look into what happens when the possible meets the typical. The futuristic meets the modern. The synthetic meets the organic. I cannot recommend this twelve-issue series enough. Whether you like him or not, The Vision's book is the smartest and most gripping title Marvel has had to offer in 2016. Tom King may be DC's boy now, but he left one hell of a mark on a character who's stories will never get better than this.

1. "Superman"
 Peter J. Tomasi, Mick Gray, & Patrick Gleason (June 2016-Ongoing)

Reading Peter J. Tomasi's "Superman" is like visiting an old friend and breathing a fresh breath of air. Everything you know Superman to be is in this book. Every inch of righteousness, guidance, friendliness, and pride resonates in this book. Superman is not just where superheroes were anymore, Superman is what superheroes have always been. In this title, Clark dons the iconic outfit once again since setting foot on this new, younger DCU. With the other Superman (2011-2016) being dead and this Superman (1980's-2010) being alive and well, Clark must prove himself to the superhero community and show that while he may not be their Superman, he has been "a Superman" for most of his life. And it's not just him, Superman has his wife Lois Lane-as brassy and snappy as ever-and their son Jon Kent (or Jon White. Oh, wait they're the Smiths now. Jon Smith) who is half-human and half-Kryptonian. Superman may have fatherhood down to a practice, but Jon's powers are a bit harder to understand. So, we watch as a man reintroduces himself to a world not too unlike his own, and we watch a boy live up to the legacy of his father. "Inspiring" is the best way to describe this title. But "good ol' comic book fun" works too! I love being able to love Superman again. I love how he isn't new or fresh or drastic, he is just Superman. You have to understand it's been six years since Superman has been the iconic voice of reason in American fiction, and now he gets to be all the great things he used to be AND a good father. It's amazing. I just thought in an age of "Man of Steel" and "Injustice" we'd never have the character who broke the mold and inspired millions. And now we do. Now we have a Superman. The book isn't too far in it's run so go pick up the first few issues and you'll understand why I'm so hooked. And why I'm so proud to wear that "S' on my chest.
Thanks for reading!