Welcome back to our end of the year round-up! The categories haven't changed, but we are giving out something a little different this year to our winners... cuts. That's right, we're jumping you into the Comic Bastards winner circle! You can also listen to the "Best of 2014" podcast episode which is posted at the bottom to hear the entire list, otherwise check back for the next category. Now let's get going with our next category: Best Mini-Series.
Austin - Trillium
Though technically this started in 2013, there was enough of it in 2014 for me not to feel bad about including it here. Opinions diverged sharply on the quality of the ending, from what I can tell, but the series opened with the bang and contained the absolute best of images that Lemire has to offer.
Kevin - Rover Red Charlie
A simple story about three friends at the end of the world that just happen to be dogs. Garth Ennis' best work since Crossed, I loved it.
Samantha - Next Testament
Mind blowing end and storyline. Can rave about this comic enough.
Dustin - And Then Emily Was Gone
I really could have given this to three titles, but I've landed on And Then Emily Was Gone. It was creepy, it was scary even at times, but overall it was so artistic and brilliant that I couldn't help but go with it.
Dustin (again) - Thomas Alsop
At the end of the day what's the point of running a site called Comic Bastards if you don't break the rules now and again. Frankly I went back and forth on Thomas Alsop and And Then Emily Was Gone, but really I should have just giving it to both. They're both incredible mini-series and to say one stood out more than the other is just ridiculous. It may be late, but I'm giving the cut Thomas Alsop as well.
Neil - Furious
It’s the best super hero book of this year. Great Story, awesome character development, and some beautiful art. This book does not disappoint.
Steve - The Auteur
The most unique book of the year; a love story wrapped in a surreal snuff flick, vetted through an overdose and shone through a prism of Fear and Loathing.
David - Armor Hunters
I really do not understand how Valiant does everything so well. In a time where it feels like Marvel and DC couldn't pull off a big event if their lives depended on it, Valiant crafted one that worked brilliantly. While I think I would have loved this series even more if I was reading all of Valiant's line-up, this was still a huge amount of fun. I love the way that Valiant is gradually and carefully crossing over its characters when the story demands it, rather than throwing them all together for a fight just for the heck of it. Robert Venditti is doing some really great stuff over there right now (X-O Manowar was a close runner-up for best ongoing), and I really hope that the publisher can keep up this hot streak.
Allen - Trees
Trees may end up being the most pure Warren Ellis comic since Doctor Sleepless abruptly ended or maybe when Fell kind of stopped coming out (the next issue is supposed to come out...eventually). This series has giant science fiction ideas, world politics, and is still pumped with unique characters.
James - Protectors Inc.
This was a hard one to choose from as I have read some incredibly killer minis. But from start to finish, I think the ten issue Protector's Inc. story really hammered in the perfect points to being an amazing mini. Mixing the best elements of old school noir detective stories with big bold colorful hero comics, Protector's Inc. addressed the issue of what it means to be heroic as opposed to being a hero. It was a classic page turner that ended well.
Carl - Godzilla: Cataclysm
The idea of kaiju worship comes across as brilliant and thought-provoking. Typical Godzilla fighting gets a back seat to some evocative storylines that caused me a lot of reflection.
Andre - Sandman: Overture
I'm not even sure if this qualifies, but it's supposedly wrapping up in December, and has been pretty stellar whenever it does sporadically release. Although I went into it with low expectations, Gaiman having left the character a while back now, this prequel to Morpheus's story in the classic 'Sandman' series completely stands on its own, and JH Williams' art leaves me weeping every time.