6 Comics You Should Have Read In 2019
Dec 31, 2019
by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
So many comics, so little time.
There are 52 weeks in a year. This means there are 52 weeks of new comic book releases dropping regularly, and, truthfully, even I have trouble keeping up. But with 2019 soon behind us, I figured it was important to highlight some of the amazing reads that have hit comic shops in the last 12 months. These six stellar titles may have passed you by in 2019, but here's one more chance to discover what you missed. Here are Six Comics You Should Have Read in 2019!
Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen (MAY190369) from DC Comics
Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber team-up for a 12-part maxi-series featuring Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet's affable photojournalist. Well...he is the Daily Planet photojournalist until he gets pushed out of the news organization because his latest YouTube stunt nearly craters Metropolis.
As that plot rolls forward, readers are also treated to five seemingly unrelated short stories highlighting Olsen’s additional exploits. Like the time Jimmy faked his death and fled to Gotham. Or the time he encountered an interdimensional jewel thief. Or when Jimmy got turned into a space turtle! And you’ll never figure out what Superman’s secret power is. It’s something so spectacular that only Jimmy Olsen can tell you.
Space Bandits (NOV190064) from Image Comics
Mark Millar covertly created an expanded universe with Space Bandits, his Thelma & Louise meets Guardians of the Galaxy mini-series for Image Comics.
Featuring energetic art by Matteo Scalera, Space Bandits dropped in July of 2019. What readers didn’t know until the final issue was that this comic took place in the same universe as Millar’s other series, Sharkey The Bounty Hunter. The connective tissue between both sci-fi books is that they focus specifically on crooks and bounty hunters. While Sharkey leans on the (somewhat) lawful side of things, Space Bandits is all about the criminal element and how there is no honor among thieves. Even in space.
They Called Us Enemy (MAR190630) from IDW
IDW provides readers with a historical perspective by way of actor, author, and activist George Takei.
Set during World War II, They Called Us Enemy recounts Takei’s real-life experience witnessing the cruel and unjust incarceration of Americans...in America. Takei and his entire family were just several of the 100,000-plus citizens of Japanese ancestry that found their lives uprooted after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This “graphic memoir” gives readers a unique glimpse of a childhood spent inside a concentration camp. A haunting but necessary read from the past year.
Hashtag: Danger (SEP191414) from Ahoy! Comics
Hashtag: Danger is the best Adult Swim show not on Adult Swim. Written by Tom Peyer (The Authority) and drawn by Chris Giarrusso (Mini-Marvels), Hashtag: Danger is both a satire of modern culture and a riff on Hanna-Barbera adventure shows like Johnny Quest.
Meet Desiree Danger, Sugar Rae Huang, and Einstein Armstrong. Combined, they are "Hashtag: Danger", a team of would-be do-gooders who can’t get past their own self-importance to save the day. Clumsily and disastrously, the trio will answer the call if you use #HashtagDanger on the Internet (nevermind that you’re not supposed to spell out "hashtag"). Unfortunately for anyone looking for a hero of the day, Desiree and crew create more problems than they resolve. It may not be funny to the strange creatures, lost civilizations, and supernatural threats that they unintentionally cause, but it sure is hilarious to read.
Dead Eyes (DEC190081) from Image Comics
If you default associate writer Gerry Duggan with his darkly comic run on Deadpool then you will be absolutely at home with Dead Eyes.
Duggan and artist John McCrea (Hitman) team-up for this crime story about Bostonian robber Martin Dobbs. Infamous for his crime spree in the 1990s, Dobbs a.k.a. “Dead Eyes” was indiscriminate about who he robbed. Banks, mob guys...you name it. Then, suddenly, he disappeared. He actually made his final score and hung it up.
Is that it? Of course not. We all know that when you think you’re out, “they” pull you back in! Except, the reason for Dobbs' return is to give a giant middle finger to the “health industry.”
Spider-Man: Life Story (JUL191106) from Marvel Comics
Writer-Artist Chip Zdarsky had a very noteworthy year. He unleashed his two-part mini-epic White Trees at Image, took over writing duties on Daredevil (to critical acclaim), and resurrected World War II superteam The Invaders. Finally, Zdarsky found a way to revisit Spider-Man’s nearly 60-year history with a fresh eye.
In Spider-Man: Life Story, Zdarsky and fan-favorite artist Mark Bagely tackle Peter Parker’s publication life in real-time - from 1963 to now. the end result is a fantastic character drama. The type of stuff that would make Stan Lee proud. In Zdarsky’s hands, Peter doesn’t just confront Doc Ock and Green Goblin, but the possibility of the Vietnam draft (is it irresponsible for him to not join?), marriage, fatherhood, and old age. In the process, what we get is a very compelling lesson in power and responsibility. As it should be.
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes BAMN, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
