Welcome to Comic Bastards' yearly "Best of" list. We have so many contributors on the site now that we actually had to break the list up into parts this year. This is part one which will cover "Best issue of the Year" and "What Are You Looking Forward to From 2014?" You can find Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 by clicking on the previous links. Also be sure to check out this week's podcast to hear Kevin and Dustin read and have fun with everyone's list! Thanks for reading! (Hey Creators and Publishers! If you want a champ belt graphic contact us on Twitter or through the site and we'll make you one!)
What Will 2013 Be Remembered For?
James - Year of the Woman
Not only were there more women writing and drawing, their original material rocked. Diversity, I believe is finally here and the ladies have proven they can create some seriously good comics.
Jeff – Year of the Woman
Have to agree with James, 2013 featured a real unified front of pro-women
Dustin - Diversity in Comics
Okay so I should probably change it to the discussion of diversity in comics. It's always a subject in the industry, but this year I think it really picked up. If it was DC actually giving effort to hire female writers, it was the discussion of minority characters at the big two in general. Also how can anyone forget the discussion of how women are treated in the industry in general; and sexual harassment that several brave women refused to stay silent about it.
Adam - Indie Books
I feel like indie companies have really had a ton of great books out, which makes doing reviews a lot easier and more fun. Specifically of course Image, and Dark Horse probably both had the most books I enjoyed this year, with a good amount of new material every so often (especially Image on that one). Kudos to some super indie companies like Monkey Brain, Action Lab: Danger Zone, and Fried Comics for killing it with great new series as well. As a fan of the underdogs, it's great to see indie companies doing some great stuff.
Jordan - The Year of Announcements
It’s not what we got this year so much as what was announced. Huge projects have been announced back to back to back as far as comic stuff on the silver and small screen including but not limited to: Supes vs Batman, Ultron for the Avengers, an X-men movie with Apocalypse, the Casting of Wonder Woman, Marvel’s Netflix series. I could go on and on.
Erik - TMNT: City Fall
This whole arc was extremely emotional. As much as I loved the story that was told in these issues, I am even more excited for what is to come. That is why I feel so strongly that people will remember 2013 for this. You won't be able to read a single issue of TMNT from now on without thinking of "City Fall".
Samantha - TMNT: City Fall
Leo joining Shredder to take down his brothers is about the most interesting concept for the Turtles right now and years to come.
Steve – Marvel NOW! (Marvel Comics)
I know it started in late 2012, but 2013 is when a bunch of these titles really picked up traction, and when its first "event," Infinity, changed the event scene. Altogether, this has been a pretty big game-changer in the Big Two.
Carl - Crossovers
The big event crossovers didn't suck!
What Are You Looking Forward to From 2014?
Steve – EVERYTHING (Everything)
Is that too vague? I dunno, there are too many really interesting books to name, plus all of the Marvel movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, which I can't WAIT to check out!
Kevin - Monkey Brain Comics and Action Lab's Danger Zone (Monkey Brain and Danger Zone)
These two prints have release some very awesome stuff this year and I'm really going to keep an eye on them in the New Year. Good stuff!
Carl - Word on the Justice League Dark Movie (WB)
I want confirmation that Guillermo Del Toro is moving ahead with the film that brings together Swamp Thing, Constantine, and the other supernatural antiheroes of the DC Universe.
Samantha - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony)
I can't help but look forward to this. Maybe it will suck, but the obsessive spidey fan has to come out.
Erik - Monster & Madman (IDW Publishing)
I had first said that I was most excited for ASM 2 next year, but come on, we all saw that trailer. I've decided that Monster & Madman from Steve Niles and Damien Worm is the new black. If you've read the synopsis at all, you'll know that this is something that can't be missed. A master of the horror genre is tackling a horror story that just bleeds originality.
Jordan - Guardians of the Galaxy Movie (Marvel Studios)
This film is going to take comic book movie goers somewhere that they haven`t been before in terms of tone and setting. I`m pumped!
James - Guardians of the Galaxy Movie (Marvel Studios)
A truly ballsy move by Marvel to hit their less "mainstream" characters. I'm psyched.
Adam - Discovering New Books (New Books)
It's always exciting for me going through the different books we get to review and finding a new series that I can support. Most of the time, I wouldn't have known about some of the books I follow if I didn't write for this site. Definitely looking forward to what 2014 has in store.
Jeff - Cartoons, TV and Movies! (Everything)
New 'Bee and Puppycat' , 'VGHS' Season 3, Marvel's two chances with 'Captain America 2' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy' to make franchises other than 'Iron Man' that have a shelf life, Shinichiro Watanabe's 'Space Dandy'
Dustin - The Next Battle (Meta)
For years now we’ve been hearing about print vs. digital, marvel vs. dc and I think that those days are past us. The events are already in place and it’s clear that the battles are over and things are what they are. Print isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future, digital is continuing its path. Marvel is doing its thing and DC is doing what they do. These battles may continue in some small degree, but I think there are new battles brewing. I think the small publishers are seeing what they have to do to run with the bigger dogs and things might get interesting in the next year. There’s something big brewing out there and while I don’t know exactly what it is, I can feel it in my bones that it’s coming. That’s what I’m looking forward to, the coming war. -- Keep going with our "Best of 2013" list by checking out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3! Thanks for reading and please leave us a comment below!