Previews. It weighs a ton, and it leaves me faintly depressed. So, in an effort to cheer myself, I thought I’d put out a quick list of comics I read this year that were actually… y’know… fun.
- Amelia Rules! Both of the trades and the ongoing (Superheroes) are highly recommended. A great all-ages book.
- Case Closed: Mistaken-identity hijinks wrapped around solid mysteries. Charming character design helps strike the perfect tone.
- Fake: I loved watching Fake’s odd-couple cops go through their twisty mating dance. The crime drama is ludicrous, but that’s part of the fun.
- Girl Genius: Engagingly deranged and adorably menacing, this book is bursting with great ideas, smart parody, and terrific comic moments.
- Hikaru No Go: I think it’s quintessential manga, honestly: appealing characters, a fun and fresh premise, and generous doses of humor and heart.
- Imadoki! Who knew Yu Watase had such a charming sense of humor? Oddballs at a posh, sterile high school form a gardening club, with unexpected results.
- Owly: It really should become a classic. (Tomorrow’s the last day of the Owly contest sponsored by Cognitive Dissonance.)
- Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life: Smart, sweet, and slightly surreal, this is a pleasure to read over and over.
- Sgt. Frog: Gero! Gero! Gero! Attention-span-challenged amphibians plot world domination from a house in the suburbs.
- She-Hulk: Dan Slott scripts the best monthly Marvel’s got, in my opinion. It’s got a skewed perspective that actually celebrates super-heroes while telling funny, accessible stories. Also? Awesome. Andy.
Ahhhhhhh. I feel better now!
On a weightier front, Time has its list of the best comix of 2004, and Christopher Butcher takes an inimitable look at both the list and at the current state of critical discourse on comics.