By Various — The year is nearly half over, which is the timing that we’re using as a justification for doing a Best Comics of 2019 (So Far) list. But also, these type of lists are a lot of fun. There are just so many good comics these days, and it’s a blast to lay them all out, pick favorites, and dive into what makes them so good.

Also, moving forward we’re going to be incorporating our crack team of contributors into even more features than we’ve done in the past. This is one of the first. Here we have favorites picked not only by the editor (me), but by great writers like Ander Lilly, Toren Chenault, Allison Senecal, d. emerson eddy, Taylor Pechter, Jarred A. Luján, and more!

Anyway, these are our collective picks for the Best Comics of 2019...so far. Enjoy!

Black Badge

By Toren Chenault
Simply the best modern spy story out there. Those familiar with writer Matt Kindt, and artists Tyler and Hilary Jenkins’ Grass Kings will love Black Badge. A story about boy scouts who are covertly government agents. What more do you need? North Korea, Russia, Syria, their missions lead them to every dangerous place known to man. Diverse characters, pulse-pounding moments, and it’s just simply entertaining. All while maintaining the down-to-earth writing Kindt has displayed time and time again with his work. With detailed, life-like pencils, bold colors, and a story that’ll keep you guessing at every turn, Black Badge is easily one of the best of the year.

Black Badge
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Tyler Jenkins
Colorist: Hilary Jenkins
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Captain America

By Ander Lilly
What place does Captain America have in a country that no longer trusts him? What can he do for a people who have lost their faith in him? How does Captain America help tend the wounds of an America that is so fractured? These are the questions that Ta-Nehisi Coates and Adam Kubert aim to address in this brilliant run of Captain America. As many have pointed out, this run of Captain America feels like a spiritual successor to Brubaker's phenomenal run on the character. With the more grounded, political and espionage vibe to the series, it's easy to see those comparisons. Following the events of Secret Empire, the United States no longer has the same trust in Captain America that they once did after HydraCap (evil Steve Rogers) took over the United States. Coates and company have masterfully explored the political and personal ramifications of those events and have thrown Steve Rogers into a position he's not used to.

Coates and Kubert (Leinil Yu as well for the first six issues) have crafted an engaging tale that shows Steve Rogers at his lowest point. Coates has done a beautiful job with his character work on Steve by humanizing him; he acts and feels like a man who has just had his life ruined by something he could not control. Coates shows us that there is a man behind the shield and though he may be down right now, Steve Rogers is not one to stay down for long. While Coates' sharp and tactful writing solidify this series as being one of the best books being published, credit must also be giving to Kubert and Martin for their extraordinary artwork. Kubert's thrilling and dynamic art style pushes the storytelling forward, even in the more subdued issues. Martin's colors are in perfect sync with the brutal, ominous, and morose tone of this story arc that sees Steve Rogers locked away in The Myrmidon, a super human prison.

Captain America has always been my favorite Marvel hero and while it's shocking and disheartening to see Steve put through a situation like this, the incredible writing and care provided by Coates and Kubert make this book stand out. I can't recommend this series enough and it's easily one of the best books I'm reading right now.

Captain America
Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Artist: Adam Kubert
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Coda

By d. emerson eddy
My first pick for best of the year so far is Coda published by BOOM! Studios. Coda is a twelve-issue fantasy series from Simon Spurrier, Matas Bergara, Michael Doig, and Jim Campbell (with Colin Bell providing letters for the first issue) that started last year and will be finishing up on 29 May. It taps into a world where the final battle has already happened and everyone has more or less moved on. Post-apocalypse in a fantasy world, basically, bringing forth comparisons to Mad Max or Mortal Engines but with fantastical creatures, fallen knights, and draining akker from ylfs to perpetuate magic that has been lost from the world. To me it feels like a spiritual successor to the surrealist and existential fantasies of the '70s and '80s, tapping into that same style and feel as some of Heavy Metal, The Last Unicorn, and the animated The Lord of the Rings film.

It's full of huge, mad ideas brought beautifully to life by Bergara and Doig, each issue a treat to just stare at and soak in the visual feast being presented. The designs for the characters and world are extremely well done, particularly our protagonist Hum's steed. Yet, with the richness of the world and characters, and their fantastical nature, what really hooks for this story is the emotional core. Coda's is a somewhat depressed world coming to terms with its ending and everything that its lost, with Spurrier and Bergara tapping into existential questions of betrayal and what you're willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive or how far our protagonist, Hum, will go in order to “protect” his wife. The depth of imagination and storytelling in this series is staggering.

Coda
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Mattias Bergara
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Criminal

By Zack Quaintance
When this series was announced as returning (there have been eight volumes in the past), the creators went to great lengths to assure readers that it would behoove them to read it monthly. This book would not, they insisted, by the standard comic these days that publishes six issues and then collects them in a neat and less expensive trade, thereby incentivizing waiting. They would be operating at a high and unpredictable level of craft, publishing material that wouldn’t be collected, and just overall making great comics. That’s exactly what they’ve done. Most importantly though, every issue of this book in 2019 has just been so well-crafted. This is an immersive and intensely rewarding series that all fans of the medium should be reading.

Criminal
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colorist: Jacob Phillips
Publisher: Image Comics

Daredevil

By Allison Senecal
A rare but much needed “high expectations, even higher payoff” situation with Zdarksy, Checchetto, and Gho’s Daredevil. I just! Can! Not! Yell! Enough! I’ve been obsessed with this run ever since Checchetto said he was planning on using young Robert Redford as his inspiration for Matt (and that was a month before the first issue even dropped). I talk a lot on Twitter about how this is the peak thirst read of 2019 but it is, in all seriousness, much more than that. This run has everything the introspective Daredevil fan could want- Catholic guilt, regular guilt, Matt’s feelings of powerlessness in the wake of his nearly fatal accident (see: the end of Soule’s Daredevil, and MacKay’s Man Without Fear). The entire first arc hinges on Matt’s refusal to believe he could have accidentally killed a small-time criminal during a routine street dust-up, and I’ve seen many people wonder why that’s a big deal, as Daredevil has killed before. My advice: read it and find out. Zdarsky and the art team have crafted an ultra-compelling Matt Murdock Meltdown™.

Daredevil
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Die

By Allison Senecal
I feel like Die is one of those things where I should remember what I was doing when it was first announced. Stephanie Hans getting a chance to shine with ongoing work was my main pull. Like, I didn’t care what the series was. It could have been about mushroom hunting. But uh, add Kieron Gillen on writing duties and the project actually being a grand-scale fantasy RPG series? Yeah, ok, no way it wasn’t going to be one of my top series ever, much less of 2019, and through one arc it seems to be living up to that. The great thing about Die and what the creators have done with it, is that it operates as a gorgeous, heartbreaking fantasy series for people just looking for that. You want something else like Monstress? Here you go. However, if you’re a longtime fantasy literature buff and/or table-top roleplayer, Die is also a masterful meta-analysis of and homage to both. Tolkien even appears in a cameo in the third issue. There’s so much going on here, and a ton to enjoy, whether more casually or in-depth, and the back matter is simply a treat.

Die
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Stephanie Hans
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics

Doomsday Clock

By Zack Quaintance
I was skeptical about Geoff Johns’ sequel to Watchmen. The last time these characters were used—Before Watchmen—the entire ordeal was a mess, to the point it felt like an insult to original writer, Alan Moore, who was and still is on record saying he’d prefer that some of his most famous creations not be used again. I understand this as problematic, but have made my own peace with it enough to evaluate this comic as a standalone store free from that baggage. And what a story it is. With this comic, Geoff Johns and his collaborators Gary Frank and Brad Anderson are working to redefine the meaning of continuity within the pages of DC Comics. This story’s ambitions now seem clear: it wants to turn continuity into a living breathing (and very meta) part of this shared universe, rather than just something that accrues over time. There are two issues yet, but the book is very much poised to pull of this impressive reframing in a very entertaining way.

Doomsday Clock
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Gary Frank
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics

Event Leviathan

By Zack Quaintance
I’m picking Event Leviathan here because so far this year it feels like the clearest culmination of the things writer Brian Michael Bendis has been doing not only with Superman but with the rest of the DC Universe writ large (a certain Legion may have something to say about all that soon). It’s a great noir mystery that built up in Action Comics, and one issue into the event, it seems bent on touching every dark corner of the DCU. There’s not much else I could ask for, other than Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen books destined to spring out of this soon. It’s really just astounding to me how well Bendis has identified what has been missing in the DCU, and not messed around at all delivering it. The guy gets things done within the industry, whether you like his style or not. I’m happy to report I’m personally liking it very much right now.

Event Leviathan
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Publisher: DC Comics

The Green Lantern

By Zack Quaintance
Speaking of craft, there might be no comic as heavy with it today as The Green Lantern. Grant Morrison has shifted to (mostly) accessible and entertaining mode again, and he is really doing a great job making this character as madcap and high concept as possible. The real highlight of this run, however, is the intricate and astounding artwork being created by Liam Sharp. Simply put, there are often single panels in this comic that have more visual ideas and detail in them than entire issues of other books. Sharp is a man on creative fire right now, and all of comics is better for it.

The Green Lantern
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Liam Sharp
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Publisher: DC Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy

By Zack Quaintance
Speaking of a man on fire, I’m starting to think that is writer Donny Cates’ only mode. This latest iteration of Guardians of the Galaxy sees Cates gleefully building upon the story cosmic story threads he started juggling in his incredible Thanos Wins. He’s also using the same entertaining storytelling techniques. What that means is we’re getting a Guardians comic wherein it feels like anything can happen, no story beat is predictable, and the book is moving at the fastest pace the reality of the medium will allow it. I’m so happy to be along for this ride.

Guardians of the Galaxy
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Immortal Hulk

By Zack Quaintance
Simply put, Immortal Hulk is the best (and most terrifying) superhero comic being published right now. It’s a classic run that reframes and updates the character in a way that feels utterly inevitable, natural even. It’s as finely-crafted as Green Lantern with the big ideas that make Bendis’ Superman work or Johns’ Doomsday Clock so compelling. We’re not ranking the titles on this list, but if we were, well, this one would most likely be right at the top.

Immortal Hulk
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Joe Bennett
Colorist: Paul Mounts
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Lazarus: Risen

By Taylor Pechter
Greg Rucka and Michael Lark’s political dystopian sci-fi epic returns, this time in a new format. Now collected in a perfect bound, prestige format book, Lazarus: Risen, now releasing quarterly. Risen picks up in X+68, with the Carlyle family deep in conflict with the Vassalovka family. Starting with an intense action scene where the Daggers infiltrate a treasonness governor’s house, the pace does not let up there. Combining the brutal action with meaningful character moments, this series continues to be one of the best books on the shelf.

Lazarus Risen

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Michael Lark
Colorist: Santi Arcas
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Publisher: Image Comics

Monstress

By Zack Quaintance
I’ve written this so many times in reviews and previews of the top comics to buy, but Monstress really is building toward some kind of special climax. This book is always good (a must-read for me since it first hit back in 2015). Lately, it’s been operating at a new level. Every issue feels like an event, as Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda continue both world building and putting their compelling characters through plot paces. The best fantasy comic to come along this decade, Monstress was an easy choice for this list.

Monstress
Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics

Naomi

By d. emerson eddy
My second pick for my favorite of the year so far also taps into seemingly limitless wells of imagination and storytelling, but embraces the joy and wonder of comics to present an uplifting story, in Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, Jamal Campbell, Josh Reed, and Wes Abbott's Naomi for DC Comics' Wonder Comics pop-up imprint. All of the Wonder Comics imprint has been universally excellent. The imprint presents fun and entertaining all ages stories that remind us of how bright and colorful, happy stories can elevate us. It would be as easy to pick Young Justice, Dial H for Hero, or Wonder Twins for this slot as well, but what causes Naomi to rise from the top is Jamal Campbell's artwork. It's stunning. Beyond stunning. Seriously some of the most beautiful artwork I've ever seen in a comic.

Campbell's art takes the heartfelt and earnest script from Bendis and Walker of a young adopted girl trying to figure her place in a world of wonders like Superman and it turns it into a gorgeous, richly-detailed, lushly-colored masterpiece that celebrates some of the sheer wonder that a world of superheroes can offer. It's about finding your place in the world and realizing that everything is magic.

Naomi
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis and David Walker
Artist: Jamal Campbell
Letterer: Josh Reed
Publisher: DC Comics - Wonder Comics

The Replacer

By Zack Quaintance
It’s rare for a comic to feel both perfectly crafted and intensely personal. That is, however, what writer Zac Thompson has achieved with The Replacer. I’ve written a ton of words about why I like this comic so much, so rather than rehash it all again here, I’ll simply encourage you to click this link.

The Replacer
Writer: Zac Thompson
Artist: Arjuna Susini
Colorist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Publisher: AfterShock Comics

Self/Made

By Toren Chenault
This comic had the best debut issue that I read late last year. Writer Mat Groom and artists Eduardo Ferigato and Marcelo Costa have delivered a compelling science-fiction and fantasy story in just six issues. Themes of existentialism, toxic masculinity, and the dangers of corporate interference are all present in this story. The first issue is THAT good and I can’t even get into it without spoiling it somewhat. And every issue after the first blew me away with its execution and pace. This comic has something to say, but it does it in such a unique way reserved for sci-fi comics. If you want a new story with strong female leads and spectacular world building, this is the comic for you.

Self/Made
Writer: Mathew Groom
Artist: Eduardo Ferigato
Colorist: Marcelo Costa
Color Flats: Mariana Calil
Letterer: A Larger World Studios’ Troy Peteri
Publisher: Image Comics

SHAZAM!

By Kimota1977
SHAZAM! (yes, you must capitalize and exclaim this word EVERY TIME) written by Geoff Johns with artistic credits to Dale Eaglesham is one of the most enjoyable series on the shelves right now. After a long hiatus Johns has returned the “Big Red Cheese” to the DCU and is (in classic Johns style) world building in a way that makes the characters extensive history work. As we are still working our way through the opening story arc I am hesitant to spoil too much – but advance warning SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The series begins with a backstory that is a direct continuation from Geoff Johns reintroduction of SHAZAM! in the pages of his New 52 Justice League run. If you have not read that new origin story I highly recommend tracking down the trade before delving into the new series. As part of the re-imagining our orphaned protagonist Billy Batson begins his origin story by being sent to yet another foster home. However this time is different than all the rest. Here he finds a large group of foster children that almost instantly accepts him as part of their family. This re-introduction includes a new take on Sivana and gives Billy the ability to share the Wizards gift with all of his foster siblings.

SHAZAM! Has always been about the family - whether it is the other children Billy Batson shares his powers with or the extended family like Mr. Talky Tawny. That family is front and center from the very beginning of the new series opening arc “The Seven Magic Lands”.

The bulk of the art chores are handled with fantastic rendition by artist Dale Eaglesham and colorist Michael Atiyeh. The food looks delicious, the rides in the magic lands look thrilling and our reintroduction to Sivana looks terrifying. As we shift between the main DCU Earth and the different Magic Lands the art shifts just right to let us know that our location (and often the mood of the story) have changed.

If you have missed this book – get out and find it now!

SHAZAM!
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
Colorist: Mike Atiyeh
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics

These Savage Shores

By Jarred A. Luján
There’s quite a bit to say about These Savage Shores. The book has an abundance a layers that range from supernatural lore to political thriller to colonialism metaphors, and all of that together makes the book hard to get down just right. So, believe me when I say, how absolutely stunning it is that this team of creators didn’t get it down right, they absolutely blew it out of the water. The book is phenomenal and has some of the best reread value you could ever possibly ask for out of a comic. I swear to you, right now, if I get asked to do the Best Comics of 2019 at the end of the year, I may just copy and paste this exact piece. These Savage Shores isn’t just phenomenal, it is so phenomenal you almost can’t even believe it. This could very well be one of the best damn comics ever created and that is a hill I’m willing to die on.

These Savage Shores
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Sumit Kumar
Colorist: Vitorio Astone
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Designer: Tim Daniel
Publisher: Vault Comics

Wasted Space

By Zack Quaintance
Wasted Space’s first arc was absolutely great. It built a unique and versatile voice for this comic that could do philosophical debates about our modern times as easily as it could jokes about the cast’s sex robot. This in many ways makes it the best space opera since Star Wars (a heavy and clear influence on writer Michael Moreci). It’s a space adventure comic with the angry intelligence of a rebellious literary writer, and I am ecstatic that it’s on a regular, ongoing schedule.

Wasted Space
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Vault Comics

Young Justice

By Taylor Pechter
Fun. That is the one word I can use to describe Young Justice. Launched in January as the flagship book of the Wonder Comics imprint, overlooked by Brian Michael Bendis, Young Justice brings the classic team of young heroes back together. Spearheaded by the Trinity of Tim Drake (Robin), Connor Kent (Superboy), and Bart Allen (Impulse) along with Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Girl), sword and sorcery heroine Amethyst, and new characters Teen Lantern and Jinny Hex, the book is bursting with youthful energy. Combined with the art of Patrick Gleason (colored by Alejandro Sanchez) and a whole host of other artists, the book becomes whole with bombastic action, expressive faces, and a solid pace.

Young Justice
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: John Timms
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Publisher DC Comics - Wonder Comics

Honorable Mentions: Assassin Nation, Eclipse, Electric Warriors, Fearscape, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Friendo, Ice Cream Man, Livewire, Paper Girls, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, Snotgirl, Spencer & Locke 2, War of the Realms, The Wild Storm, Wyrd.

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