Best of 2015- Comic Books
By Nolan P. Smith and the Pastrami Nation team
2015 was a great year for comic books. With books containing such diverse stories and characters, it was hard to choose only the Top 5. In no particular order, here is Pastrami Nation’s Best Comic Books of 2015.
Age of Reptiles: Ancient Egyptians- Dark Horse Comics
Ricardo Delgado, arguably the best dinosaur artist in comics, returned to the fan favorite series, Age of Reptiles, with Ancient Egyptians. Taking place in ancient Africa, our silent protagonist is a lone Spinosaurus, which the Delgado compares to a lone ronin, trying to survive in a dangerous world. Told completely with no dialogue, Ancient Egyptians shows Delgado at his best and shows how powerful the comic book medium can be.
The Beauty- Image Comics
Imagine a world where everyone is dying to catch a sexually transmitted disease; in this case, it’s called The Beauty. It tones you up, makes you drop weight- makes you beautiful, but when someone dies of this virus, the investigation is on. With a brilliant premise and exciting story, Jeremy Haun created tone of the best books to hit in 2015.
Superman: Lois and Clark – DC Comics
This book almost didn’t make the list: mainly because I had no clue about it. Thanks to Robert at QBC Toys and More, he introduced me to a DC Comic that surprised me. He said “remember the Superman we all grew up on? He’s back, and in the current universe.” That’s right, the pre-New 52 Superman, along with Lois and their son, is alive and well in current continuity. By comic book legends Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks, this is my favorite book from DC this year, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
Ivar, Timewalker- Valiant Entertainment
Just coming to a close in December, Ivar, Timewalker has been a thrill of a read. The time hopping Ivar shows how fun, and at times tragic, time travel can be. Part Doctor Who, but far more sinister, Ivar broke history in 2015, and had a blast doing so. Valiant put out a lot of amazing books in 2015, like Ninjak, Bloodshot Reborn, and so forth, but Ivar edges them out as one of the best of 2015.
Huck- Image Comics
Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque created one of the most talked about books in 2015, and it’s only a few issues deep. Huck follows a simple man in a simple town with extraordinary powers- which he uses to help those in need. A departure from Millar’s awesomely violent work, Huck has already be optioned for a film, and is easily one of the best releases this year.