Welcome to our end of the year list! Unlike other sites, we give all of our writers the opportunity to make their own picks. What you'll read below and on the rest of the site is a list of each individual writer's picks. As much as we like making our choices, we love hearing yours so let us know what you'd pick for the "What Will 2015 Be Remembered For?" below in the comments.
DAVID: The Genuine Diversification of Marvel Comics?
I put a question mark at the end of my answer because honestly who knows if the execs at Marvel are on the brink of hitting the "Reset to Default" button once again. However, at this point I'm cautiously optimistic that 2015 may have brought with it some real diversification (rather than the publicity stunts we're all used to at this point). Sam Wilson taking on the mantle of Captain America and Jane Foster becoming Thor did feel gimmicky at first, but through some genuinely compelling stories Marvel have shown dedication to these new takes on classic characters. With All-New Marvel we also have X-23 taking on the role of Wolverine, and even Amadeus Cho as the new Hulk! I know it seems hard to believe but these big changes have actually worked so far thanks in no small part to the enlistment of some great writers. So while there is still the lingering fear in my mind that things are destined to return to the norm, Marvel feels closer to genuine diversification than ever before.
ASA: Comics as Controversy
If 2015 was a great time to be a fan (and it was) it was a rough time to be someone who pays attention to comics journalism. From James Robinson's perceived 'Airboy' transphobia to the debate around a black Captain America to DC's Batgirl comic book cover (as well as Marvel's Spider-Woman one), every week seemed to provide the teeming masses of internet commenters with something to discuss. As per usual, the industry did some things well and other things poorly, comic fans overreacted, the internet blew up obnoxiously, and everything blew over in a matter of days. Here's hoping comics in 2016 have fewer, well, issues.
KEVIN: Dystopian Futures
Say hello to the comic book theme of 2015. It was so over used and uninteresting on the "indie" scene that wept every time I read heard or read the synopsis for any book with a fucked future. Maybe it was the how and when the books were released but it felt like it was on every other title that came out was all about "how fucked we are as a race". Here's hoping we can do better or at least be a little original and diverse next year.
CHRIS: Charlie Hebdo
2015 was a hard year for France, and in January the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked and 11 people were killed, including many of the magazine's cartoonists. Shortly thereafter in a show of solidarity cartoonists around the world began to draw comics in memoriam of Charlie Hebdo's staff. It was a moment of unity for the comics community that will not soon be forgotten.
DUSTIN: The Same Shit As Last Year
Usually this is supposed to be a positive thing, but its hard to be positive when it feels like we had the same shit as last year happen again this year. Sexual harassment in comics? CHECK! Diversification in comics on the plus and the minus? CHECK! The big two using diversification as a marketing plan? CHECK! Fans being hostile and over protective of the perceived status quo in comics? CHECK! Art work offending people and starting a really lopsided conversation about the wrong thing? CHECK! Really, none of this is new to comics, but all of this shit happened last year as well. It's just sad that we keep having to talk about some of this because people aren't paying attention. Not that we should let some of this shit slide, but really at one point is the industry going to get its shit together and actually fix the problems rather than apologizing and trying to smooth some things over with some new hires.
JAMES: The Returns of Good Horror
Sure, there were some real bad "thumps" to the things that go bump in the night. But in the realm of comics, TV, and movies, there were some really good horror offerings all the way around, especially in the comics area. As a life long horror comic fan, this gave me great pride. Southern Cross, Harrow County, The Disciples, Burning Fields, these are just some of the many quite unique and diversified creepy goodness that made the horror book once again a great contributor to the genre.