Comic Book Recommendations - 2024

 

            Another year has ended, and it’s time to recommend some comic books. As I mentioned in previous years, I tend to primarily focus my recommendations on creator-owned titles, these will mostly be graphic novels/trade paperbacks, and they may not all have been released this year.

As always, I’ve provided links where I can. Links to Amazon will be affiliate links. Anywhere else is not. Even so, if you’re intrigued by these books, try to buy them from your local comic shop or book store. You can find previous years’ recommendation by clicking on the corresponding year : 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.

 

A Guest in the House, E.M. Carrol

 A woman marries the recently widowed town dentist and moves to a new house with him and his daughter, and she begins to question what really happened to his former wife. I’ve read a decent amount of scary comics, and this was one of the best I’ve read recently that used art and pacing to establish an eerie mood.

 

Local Man, vol. 3, Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs

A washed up superhero heads back to his Wisconsin home, and trouble follows. I’ve been reading, and enjoying, this series since it started. The only reason it is now making the list is because I had to buy the final issues in trade form. The base of the series is almost small town noir, with a splash of superhero. It also frequently comments on and pokes fan at the excesses of ’90s-era Image Comics storytelling.

 

Drawing Blood, vol. 1, Kevin Eastman, David Avallone, Troy Little, and Ben Bishop

 I finally read this one after backing the Kickstarter ages ago. Drawing inspiration from Eastman’s life after co-creating a hit pop culture property (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), it tells the tale of a comic book creator’s life after creating a global sensation – the Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls. An amusing, depressing, wild story that most comic book fans will enjoy.

 

Trve Kvlt, Scott Bryan Wilson and Liana Kangas

 An amusing story about a slacker fast food employee who finds himself caught up in a situation involving cults, corporate greed, and…the devil? Well worth reading for the great art and offbeat storytelling.

 

Radiant Black, vol. 1, Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa

 A superhero-style book involving a mysterious super suit that may be from outerspace. I read the first issue when it originally came out, and I thought it was interesting. I finally picked up the trade, and I can see why this has become a popular ongoing series. Fascinating concept from the start.

 

Full Tilt, Jason Copland

 Set in a dystopian future where criminal families fight over the control of New York, a loyal consigliore tries to make things right after he’s accused of killing the heads of each family.  The art is black-and-white, and at times, a bit loose, but it adds to the look and feel of the book.