Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com Entertainment Weekly EW.com Entertainment Weekly
  • TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • TV Recaps
    • Fall TV
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Mystery
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music
    • Music Reviews
  • Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Awards
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Order Past Issues this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com Entertainment Weekly EW.com Entertainment Weekly
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Here are all 70 puppies competing in Puppy Bowl XVII

      Read More Next
    • The best books to keep you warm this January

      Read More Next
    • The Masked Dancer revealed: Every unmasked celebrity on season 1

      Read More Next
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • TV Recaps
    • Fall TV
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Mystery
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Awards

    Awards

    See All Awards
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Order Past Issues this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Gallery Chevron Right
  3. The Best Comic Books of 2016

The Best Comic Books of 2016

By Chancellor Agard ,  Christian Holub and Nivea Serrao
Updated December 20, 2016 at 02:24 AM EST
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet

1 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Best Comic Books of 2016

Credit: Marvel; Image Comics; Marvel; DC Comics; Boom! Studios

In a year stuffed with invigorated reboots, stellar finales, and stunning debuts, these series stand out.

 

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Ongoing: Monstress (Image Comics)

Credit: Image Comics

There are no easy answers in this gorgeous series from Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. Its detailed fictional world is full of intricate details from multiple influences (including steampunk, dark literary fantasy, and anime), but reveals itself slowly, piece by piece. Same goes for its enigmatic protagonist, Maika Halfwolf, whose demonic powers and dark backstory are a mystery even to her. The title’s dual meaning is reflected in the series’ balance of wartime horrors with Takeda’s beautiful painted art. Monstress also presents a spectrum of feminity rather unique in pop culture. Here, women are sadistic witches, kind smugglers, scared kids, and everything in between. Their world — full of beauty, pain, magic, and darkness — is one you can lose yourself in. –Christian Holub

 

2 of 12

3 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best New Series: Black Panther (Marvel)

Credit: Marvel

In a big year for Black Panther (Marvel’s first black superhero celebrated his 50th anniversary with an on-screen debut in Captain America: Civil War), the new comic series from Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze stands as the highlight. Coates didn’t make things easy for T’Challa, using plot threads from the past few years of Avengers stories to interrogate Black Panther’s dual role as both international superhero and sovereign ruler of Wakanda while also building up a vibrant supporting cast of friends and enemies. For his part, Stelfreeze constructed a beautiful Afro-futurist landscape for Wakanda, populated equally by rebellious mystics and armored feminist warriors. The resulting series was a delight to read each month. –Christian Holub

 

3 of 12

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best All-Ages: Goldie Vance (Boom! Studios)

Credit: Boom! Studios

It’s no mystery why this young detective’s series has been such a hit. Goldie’s can-do attitude and savvy know-how, plus her knack for finding (and putting together) clues, means she’s never too far from her next adventure. And she’s not alone. Goldie is joined by a host of memorable characters, including best friend Cheryl and girlfriend Diane, as writer Hope Larson and artist Brittney Williams continue to populate the comic with friends and foes alike. Larson’s writing expertly balances mystery-based storytelling and emotional stakes, while Williams’ art easily combines a slightly modern sensibility with the nostalgia-evoking art deco style of 1960s Florida. It’s a place you want to visit, and an adventure you want to have. –Nivea Serrao

 

4 of 12

Advertisement

5 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Reboot: DC Comics’ Rebirth

Credit: DC Comics

DC Comics underwent a much-needed course correction in 2016. Spearheaded by Geoff Johns, the Rebirth initiative rejected the New 52’s worst impulses and embraced the publisher’s long history, bringing joy and optimism back to the line of books. And the results are great: Patrick Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi are telling a sweet family story in Superman; comics-legend Christopher Priest’s Deathstroke is a smart, dense political-thriller; James Tynion IV ingeniously turned Detective Comics into the Bat-family team-up book we didn't know we needed; and Green Arrow is the most fun it’s been since Jeff Lemire left the series. If you stopped reading DC in the past five years, now’s the time to jump back on board. –Chancellor Agard

 

5 of 12

6 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Debut: Chelsea Cain

Credit: Marvel; Laura Domela

Chelsea Cain wasn’t the only novelist to try her hand at comics writing this year, but she made the most seamless transition. From the first panel, Cain’s Mockingbird series made no apologies for its sharp wit and poppy color, and neither did its fully-formed protagonist: Bobbi Morse, the superhero secret agent who makes up for her lack of superpowers with impeccable fighting skills and a keen scientific mind. The series was unfortunately canceled after only eight issues (and became the target of a hateful internet campaign that made Cain swear off both Twitter and comic books), but her work serves as a reminder of just how fun superhero comics can be. –Christian Holub

 

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Returning: Bitch Planet (Image Comics)

Credit: Image Comics

Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro’s sci-fi riff on ’70s prison exploitation films felt raw, almost urgent, when it debuted in 2014. Two years and only ten issues later, Bitch Planet, a saga of sisterhood centered around “non compliant” women in a dystopian realm, still offers plenty of unflinching social commentary — especially the most recent run of issues which sees the series’ feminist themes become more nuanced and inclusive. De Landro’s art continues to be a revelation, too. Another bonus? The back of each issue, which features not just letters from readers, but also essays, articles, even how-to guides by various feminist thinkers and writers. –Nivea Serrao

 

7 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Crossover: Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy (Boom! Studios)

Credit: Boom! Studios

With two groups of fun-loving, adventure-prone kids in the comic market, it was only a matter of time until they teamed up — and thanks to some smart thinking on the part of Boom! Studios and DC, it happened sooner rather than later. But the six-issue arc wasn’t just a chance for the Lumberjanes gang and the Gotham Academy team to double the fun of both series (though it did), it also allowed writer Chynna Clugston Flores to deftly mix and match pairings, bringing out different sides to familiar characters as they tackled the paranormal problem they were faced with. The end result was a comic that celebrates the power of friendship and the excitement of youth, while also ruminating on what it means to grow up. –Nivea Serrao

 

8 of 12

Advertisement

9 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Finale: Batman #51 (DC Comics)

Credit: DC Comics

A thank-you letter to Batman, Gotham City, and the fans, Batman #51 is the perfect conclusion to writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo’s sprawling five-year run on DC’s Batman. Following the Dark Knight on a quiet night in the city, the dynamic duo takes the reader on a pathos-filled tour of Gotham that features a few callbacks to their first issue. Snyder focuses on Batman’s relationship with Gotham City, which has been the theme for the series, but keeps his script light, allowing Capullo’s masterful artwork to take center stage. Snyder and Capullo’s Batman series will be remembered as the highlight of the New 52 era that introduced bold and exciting elements to the character’s mythology. —Chancellor Agard

 

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Most Relevant: Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson

Credit: Marvel

Kamala Khan is a superhero for the 21st century – not just because she’s a Muslim-American child of immigrants, but because she faces the same problems as many other modern millennials. In the third year of G. Willow Wilson’s stellar series, Kamala officially became an Avenger, and soon found herself struggling to balance school and her personal life with her crimefighting – something any millennial who’s spent their life bogged down with internships and extracurricular activities can relate to. When Civil War II rolled around in the summer, Kamala learned that Marvel’s elder heroes weren’t exactly the perfect role models she had thought they were. But through all the stress and disillusionment, her signature series retained its optimistic vision of everyday heroism, a beacon in a dark time. –Christian Holub

 

10 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Superhero of the Year: Wonder Woman (DC Comics)

Credit: DC Comics

Wonder Woman was the busiest superhero of the year. The Amazon princess from Themyscira celebrated her 75th anniversary; she became a honorary U.N. ambassador; and she was the sole highlight of Batman v. Superman, her live-action movie debut. And, that's on top of all of the interesting and unique retellings of her origin story in comics in 2016, which include the "Year One" storyline in her current series, the provocative Wonder Woman: Earth One by comic book prophet Grant Morrison, the empowering and all ages series The Legend of Wonder Woman by Renae de Liz and Ray Dillon, and Jill Thompson's Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, which emphasizes Diana's selfishness. There quite possibly hasn't been a better time to be a Wonder Woman fan. –Chancellor Agard

 

11 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Honorable Mentions

Divinity II (Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine)

Valiant Comics kept pumping out innovative new superhero stories throughout 2016, but a definite highlight was this miniseries, in which two superpowered Soviet cosmonauts debated the nature of existence and fought across space-time in a mind-bending battle for the ages.

Giant Days (John Allison and Max Sarin, Boom! Studios)

John Allison’s slightly surreal slice-of-life series makes the mundane larger than life, and infinitely relatable as pals (and recent roommates) Susan, Esther, and Daisy make their way through what’s only their second year of college.

Hellboy In Hell (Mike Mignola, Dark Horse)

After more than 20 years, Mignola finally brought Hellboy’s story to an end – and this anticlimactic apocalypse only felt more relevant as our world continued to slowly disintegrate this year.

Secret Wars (Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić, Marvel)

The conclusion to this epic, universe-changing event series was incredibly intimate, life-affirming and gave the Fantastic Four (Marvel's First Family) the heartfelt send-off they deserved (for now).

The Sheriff of Babylon (Tom King and Mitch Gerards, Vertigo)

Writer Tom King also dazzled with this thrilling, realistic portrayal of the Iraq War’s devastating effect on the country's people, rooted in King’s own experiences as a CIA officer.

Tyson Hesse’s Diesel: Ignition (Boom! Studios)

Diandra “Dee” Diesel’s quest to prevent a war between two old enemies is both a high-energy call to adventure, and a gorgeously-realized coming-of-age tale set in a world filled with floating colonies and “cloud seas.”

Vision (Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Michael Walsh, Marvel)

Very few series were as moving as King's 12-issue run on Vision, which used Marvel's resident synthezoid and his family to show how one act of violence can cause things to spin horribly out of control.

The Wicked & the Divine (Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, Image Comics)

This inventive story of godlike pop stars stayed strong in its third year, thanks to both an action-heavy arc in the vein of classic superhero crossovers, and new innovations like an entire issue styled to look like a prestige fashion magazine.

 

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

  • By Chancellor Agard @chancelloragard
  • By Christian Holub @cmholub
  • By Nivea Serrao

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 12 The Best Comic Books of 2016
2 of 12 Best Ongoing: Monstress (Image Comics)
3 of 12 Best New Series: Black Panther (Marvel)
4 of 12 Best All-Ages: Goldie Vance (Boom! Studios)
5 of 12 Best Reboot: DC Comics’ Rebirth
6 of 12 Best Debut: Chelsea Cain
7 of 12 Best Returning: Bitch Planet (Image Comics)
8 of 12 Best Crossover: Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy (Boom! Studios)
9 of 12 Best Finale: Batman #51 (DC Comics)
10 of 12 Most Relevant: Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson
11 of 12 Superhero of the Year: Wonder Woman (DC Comics)
12 of 12 Honorable Mentions

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
EW.com Entertainment Weekly

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
© Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

View image

The Best Comic Books of 2016
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.