By Zack Quaintance — This is the third year that our committee (of one) has done these Best Of rankings, breaking down favorite books into three separate pieces. The final piece (coming this Friday!) will look at the Top 5 Best Comics of 2019, while yesterday’s piece looked at #16 - #25. Today’s, however, is all about our Top Comics of 2019, #6 - #15.

But before we get into those, a quick word about our rankings via these three simple rules:

• Don’t see your favorite? Check our other categories: We’ve already written at length about many comics this year in our Contributor Picks, Best Single Issues, and Best New Series lists. So, if you don’t see your favorite comic of 2019, it may be in there. In addition, on Friday we will be posting a Best Original Graphic Novel list to cover releases that hit the market all at once intact, rather than via the direct market periodical fashion. So, check back for that one too!

• No webcomics, manga, Kickstarter-released books, or newspaper strips: Our site is a bit deficient covering these (if you are into these things, we’d love to chat about you writing for us!). We’re working to change that. Last year, for example, we set out to do the OGN list, and you’ll soon see how that turned out.

• Longevity matters: Finally, each entry here also involves what I consider a key stat — how many issues were published this year. This makes it harder to put debut series or series that had just a few issues come out to wrap things up on our list. They just haven’t been around enough to be a definitive comic of 2019. Ditto for books that ended in April or earlier.

Anyway, on to the list!

15. Superman
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inker: Joe Prado
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 12 plus tie-ins and a special
The good work that writer Brian Michael Bendis and artists Ivan Reis/Joe Prado/Alex Sinclair started in 2018 continued with the Man of Steel in 2019. Although the freshness of the team’s take on the character wore off just a bit, some of the storylines they seeded way back in May of 2018 bore excellent fruit with a pair of the best individual issues for this franchise in recent memory, with those being Superman #15 (where Jon Kent founds the United Planets) and Superman #18 (where Clark reveals his identity). Moreover, what is truly special about this run is the patience of the writer’s scripting and the consistency of the teams fantastic art…both of those things have become a rarity these days as sustained runs take a backseat to quick-hit minis and six-issue arcs aimed at selling trades.

14. Usagi Yojimbo
Writer / Artist / Letterer: Stan Sakai
Colorist: Tom Luth
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Issues Published in 2019: 7
In 2019, writer/artist Stan Sakai’s long-time series Usagi Yojimbo moved from Dark Horse Comics to IDW Publishing, kicking off its next era with a new #1 issue. I’d heard this was an excellent comic for a good while, and so I used the switch as occasion to jump into reading this book, and holy wow am I glad I did that. The level of comics craft at work in these seemingly simple stories is so impressive. I say seemingly simple, because the plot at first glance is often familiar: Usagi protects a lady in need, Usagi helps a friend investigate a mysterious death, etc., but Sakai uses these concepts to get at deep, universal truths, doing so in clear and poetic ways that speak to problems we all face. In all honesty, this book should maybe be a bit higher on this list, but it’s also one of those that is so consistently good each and every month, that we tend to take it a bit for granted. Either way, I’m better for having added Usagi Yojimbo to my comics life this year, and I’d urge any of you who have not yet checked it out to do the same.

13. Wasted Space
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Jason Campbell
Publisher: Vault Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 7
I started heaping praise upon Wasted Space back at the time of the series’ launch in January 2018, and you know what? In 2019, I continued. As such, it’s getting a bit difficult for me to find new ways to describe why I like what I believe is the first of Vault Comics’ series to hit double digit issues. So, instead of forcing it, I’m just going to trot out some of my favorites for the past. Put simply, Wasted Space is the best space opera in all of comics, mixing high sci-fi adventure with deep bursts of often-hilarious philosophizing. The end result is a story that reads like a mix of Star Wars and David Foster Wallace. As I’ve noted elsewhere on this list, I think humor is one of the most difficult things to do well with a comic book, but I regularly find myself chuckling at Wasted Space and taking photos of funny panels to send to friends. I’m just so happy this book has lived on past its excellent first arc — all of comics is better for it.

12. Lazarus Risen
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Michael Lark
Colorist: Santi Arcas
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Publisher: Image Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 3
This past year also saw the long-overdue return of one of my all-time favorite comics — Lazarus by writer Greg Rucka, artist Michael Lark, colorist Santi Arcas, and letterer Simon Bowland. Rather than bring the book back in a monthly, six-issue-and-then-break format (as is relatively standard for many titles at Image), this one is trying something new in the form of Lazarus Risen, which delivers new story arcs in 3-over-sized chunks. It’s a great format for one of the most immersive series in comics, and what was readily apparent when it began was that Lazarus has not lost a step. This book is better than ever, and the fact that it didn’t quite crack our top 10 speaks more to the quality of other comics this year than it does to anything wrong with Lazarus (there were so many fantastic finales!). Indeed, when taken in a vacuum, this title remains up on the very highest tier of my favorite books, right there alongside Saga and Monstress.

11. Black Hammer: Age of Doom
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Dean Ormston
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Todd Klein
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 5
One of the most impressive creations/homages in all of comics during the past few years came to an end in 2019, with Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, Dave Stewart, and Todd Klein wrapping up the mystery story that began on the Black Hammer farm 20-some issues ago. Since this series/world launched, it has gone on to spawn several spinoffs, one-shots, and even a crossover with the Justice League, but the question of why is a team of vaguely recognizable heroes with real world emotional challenges stuck on a farm wasn’t answered until this year. And while I’m not going to spoil anything here, I will say that the answer was really satisfying, at least it was for me, and I’ve been on board this ride from the very start. Anyway, here’s hoping the next phase of the Black Hammer Universe is as compelling as its start!

10. Criminal
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colorist: Jacob Phillips
Publisher: Image Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 11
In 2019, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips brought back arguably the single greatest crime series in the history of the medium — Criminal, doing so with a monthly format that was bent on rewarding readers who enjoy experiencing stories in installments. This latest volume of the long-running world has come out monthly without bowing to the six-issue then trade structure that so many series these days adhere to. Instead, Criminal has give us one-off stories, mixed with contained multi-part arts (if you haven’t read the Bad Weekend arc, available now in hardcover format, I suggest rushing to go do that), and larger stories like the one that is currently unfolding. In the end, regardless of how long or short the stories in this latest volume have been, they’ve all served to remind us just how masterful Brubaker and Phillips are when working together to tell crime stories designed specifically for comics, giving us a new must-read issues every month.

9. The Wild Storm
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: John Davis-Hunt
Colorist: Steve Buccellato
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Publisher: DC Comics - WildStorm
Issues Published in 2019: 6
I have informally dubbed the next stretch of entires on our list the Stuck the Landing All-Stars, because spots #6 - #9 (heh heh) are all comics that had excellent finales happen in 2019, some of which have been building for the better part of two decades! Okay, one of which, but we’ll get to that one later. First, let’s start with The Wild Storm, which has been an amazing slow burn of a comic that dating back to 2016 has reenvision many of the classic Wild Storm characters for the modern era. In the six issues that came out this year, what we got was a return (and what seems like an immediate exit) for the most famous Wild Storm creations — The Authority. And while there doesn’t seem to be a new book growing out of that, that’s just fine. Sometimes less is more, and this story was so perfectly-told, that we’d hate to see a rush for excess without thoughtful planning ruin it even a little bit.

8. These Savage Shores
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Sumit Kumar
Colorist: Vittorio Astone
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 3
I am quite confident in saying there has never been a comic even close to similar to These Savage Shores, a vampire story set amid British imperialism in India in the mid-1700s in a way that reclaims the narrative for the culture and people being invaded. That said, there are plenty of fresh concepts in comics these days (the imagination of the storytelling in the medium is going strong), but what truly sets These Savage Shores apart is the artistry of its creators. Ram V. is a powerful and rising writer, who is adept at one of the most important qualities for scripting in this medium — knowing when to lace heavy poetic flourishes and when to back off and let the artwork carry the scene. The team of Sumit Kumar and Vittorio Astone, meanwhile, did work throughout all five issues of this series that should have them on every reader’s radar moving forward as one of the best and most versatile teams in all of comics. The final issue of this series was also my favorite type of finale — one that leaves the audience with more questions than answers.

7. The Walking Dead
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard 
Grey Tones: Cliff Rathburn
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics - Skybound
Issues Published in 2019: 7
This year, one of the longest running creator-owned books in the North American direct market came to an end with The Walking Dead #193, a surprise finale that ambushed readers after a misdirection campaign consisting of false solicits for future issues. And you know what? The surprise ending was very very good. I wrote about this recently in our Best Single Issues of 2019 feature, but to me the clearest way that you could tell they did it right, was that pretty close to NO ONE ON THE INTERNET COMPLAINED. Yet, me just type that again (for I am buzzing with the thrill of it)…NO ONE ON THE INTERNET COMPLAINED. Now first of all, I’m sure someone somewhere did complain…but The Walking Dead finale did not generate any sustained grumbling or fan campaigns to undo it that other recent finales have. In fact, when I went to see Robert Kirkman discuss it at San Diego Comic Con, the mood in the room was one of gratitude, much to both my surprise and Kirkman’s. How did this finale do things right? Well, in part it didn’t shy away from any hard truths, taking careful pains to question whether its long-time protagonist was right about things. It also checked in with a wide-range of favorite characters to let us know what had become of them, too. Moreover, you could just feel Kirkman and his long-time collaborators saying goodbye at the right time, a rarity for a book that was still selling as well as this one.

6. Paper Girls
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Publisher: Image Comics
Issues Published in 2019: 5
Speaking of books that said goodbye at the exact right time, I think Paper Girls belongs squarely on that list too. That’s right, 2019 also saw the conclusion of Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson, and Jared K. Fletcher putting out a true puzzle box of a time-travel story, one that starred four plucky young girl protagonist, a healthy dose of ‘80s nostalgia (filtered through BKV’s midwestern upbringing), and some cautionary commentary about cultural divides we are likely to face in the future. Oh, and through it all Chiang and Wilson got to put out visionary designs for everything from clothes to giant monsters to technology to time travel vehicles. The Paper Girls finale was also a strong one, giving the story a circular structure that all but guarantees a majority of readers (myself included) will immediately launch plans to re-read this tale from its start. Time travel is inherently a confusing topic to plot around, but what the ending of this story made clear was that the creators here took careful pains to do it thoughtfully, and there are many rewards to be had for anyone who wants to investigate all the small touches left like a trail of candy in the woods throughout these 30 issues.

Check out the Top Comics of 2019, #16 - #25!

Check out our other Best of 2019 lists, including Best Single Issues of 2019, Best Superhero Makeovers, and Best Comics of 2019: Contributor Picks.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.