The Best Graphic Novels of 2015

Batgirl, Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside (The New 52), by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr
This reinvention of original Batgirl Barbara Gordon was a hit before the first issue even hit the stands. She’s a young, tech-savvy superhero with a cool, cosplayable, new outfit and a knack for using computers and social media (along with some major butt-kicking skills) to stop crime in Gotham’s super-trendy Burnside community. Babs faces all of the challenges of a young woman finding her place in the world, including classes and dating, at the same time that she’s taking on some of Gotham’s greatest threats. This year’s new Batgirl is a fun, smart book for readers of any age (or gender, for that matter).

Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars, by Dustin Nguyen and Jeff Lemire
A young android mourning his human brother, TIM-21 is on the run in a universe entirely hostile to his kind. It’s an action-filled epic with gorgeous, immersive art that was optioned by Hollywood before the first issue even hit the stands. The story of Tim and his dog is sweet and poignant, but the story goes much deeper: he’s the fulcrum in a complex war between humans and oppressed machines, one in which the robots are every bit as capable of atrocity as mankind.

Jessica Jones: Alias, Vol. 1, by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, and Bill Sienkiewicz
The timing’s more than a little coincidental, but one of the seminal series of the 00s is back in print just in time for Marvel’s latest (and maybe greatest) TV venture. As in his seminal Daredevil run, Brian Michael Bendis skirts the edges of the Marvel superhero universe while telling stories with a bit more of an R-rating. Jessica used to be a superhero who never quite made it past the d-list , but now she’s a chain-smoking, alcoholic has-been making a living as a private detective specializing in cases related to superhumans. Jessica is a rising star on TV, and this witty and gritty book makes clear why.

Just So Happens, by Fumio Obata
In pencils and bright watercolors, writer and animator Fumio Obata tells the story of Yumiko, a Japanese girl who moved to the U.K. several years ago. After a difficult period of adjustment, she has a comfortable life in London, and a fiancee whom she’s kept secret from her parents. The death of her father forces her to return home, and in the process she finds herself to be just as much of an outsider in her native land as she ever was back in England. It’s a thoughtful story about grief, outsiders, and moving beyond family expectations.

Killing and Dying, by Adrian Tomine
Venerable Canadian comic publisher Drawn & Quarterly celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015. They’ve been publishing much of the most acclaimed work in indie comics for that whole time, and artist Adrian Tomine’s latest is a clear indication that age hasn’t dulled the venerable publisher’s instincts. This collection of stories includes smart and emotional tales of disastrously mistaken identity, parenthood, and mortality. The stories are all interconnected, and bitingly funny.

Low, Vol. 1: The Delirium of Hope, by Rick Remender
Billions of years in the future, the sun has begun its next phase: the expansion into a red giant that will eventually swallow the Earth and much of the solar system. For tens of thousands of years, our planet’s surface has been generally unlivable, so humanity has taken refuge in a few dwindling colony cities deep beneath the ocean while robot probes search for habitable alien worlds. The Caine family, lead by hunter Johl and his wife Stel, manage admirably, until tragedy strikes. Stel is literally the last person holding onto optimism and, as a result, she’s frequently an object of derision. It’s a sumptuous sci-fi adventure about holding on to hope in the most dire circumstances imaginable. Read our review.

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1, by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen
If you’re looking for a girl-centric, all-ages adventure, Lumberjanes is an excellent place to start. At Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, mystery and excitement are the norm, with a diverse group campers more than ready to take on a variety of supernatural threats. The Lumberjanes are a little punk rock, very funny, and extremely tough, and the book is an awesome story of friendship and bravery from an creative team made up entirely of incredibly talented women.

March, Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin
2015 marked 50 years since the marches from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery that marked such a crucial juncture in American civil rights history. It’s timely, then, that this year also saw the publication of the second volume of this graphic memoir from Congressman John Lewis, one of the young leaders of the march. There’s real power in the words and images here. The black and white art is stunning, and the book manages to convey something of the real emotion, horror, and sense of hope that must have been felt so strongly by those on hand at a moment of such importance.

Saga, Vol. 5, by Brian K. Vaughan
Multiple storylines collide explosively in the latest volume from a series that just keeps getting better. In this epic space drama, Alana and Marko, two soldiers from opposing sides of a brutal galactic war, are on the run together after having fallen in love. Their quest to protect their newborn daughter Hazel takes them to all manner of stunningly imaginative alien worlds. Amid the spectacle (including things like bad guys with TVs for heads), it is a story about family, and the strength and sacrifices required of parents. It’s not a romance, exactly, but Alana and Marko have already become one of our favorite sci-fi couples of all time.

The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition, by Neil Gaiman and JH Williams
There’s not much left unsaid about Neil Gaiman’s seminal, seductive, and addictive Sandman series. Neil has revisited the story Dream of the Endless only very rarely since it ended in 1996, and the last time was 12 years ago. Here, he goes back to the very beginning to tell the story of Morpheus’ capture prior to the events that kicked off his epic. Throw in some beautiful art from JH Williams III, and this is the very definition of an “event.” Time hasn’t dulled Neil’s imagination or ability to surprise one bit, making this the rare revisitation that doesn’t disappoint.

The Sculptor, by Scott McCloud
New work from Scott McCloud is always an event. The creator of the classic alt-genre mash-up Zot!, McLoud also (literally) wrote the book on comics (or a breezy crash-couse on comics art, check out his seminal Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art). This new one is about a sculptor who makes a deal with Death: He can sculpt anything that he can imagine, but has only a year left to live. It’s a hefty book tackling weighty issues of love and art and death.

Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted?, by Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez
First appearing during the Spider-Verse crossover, this alternate-universe Spider-Woman happens to be Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s lost love. In her world, he died and she fights on. Given a unique look and a cool attitude, the character made such a splash that the creators left the door open for her return. She’s tough, quippy, and fights crime in a mega-cool costume that absolutely begs to be cosplayed. In her solo book, she’s on her own in a Parker-less universe, fighting crime with style.

Star Wars: Darth Vader, Vol. 1: Vader, by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca
In this year of Star Wars, this book has been one of the absolute standouts. Following the destruction of the first Death Star, Vader’s on the outs with Emperor Palpatine, and forced to prove his value to the Empire all over again. He’s playing a more complicated game, though, working behind Palpatine’s back to get his revenge on the Rebels and learn more about the force-strong pilot who defeated him at Yavin. Vader’s even got his own sidekicks, including gleefully evil versions of C-3P0 and R2-D2. Fun stuff if you like to root for the bad guys, and nobody’s badder than Darth Vader.

Thor, Vol. 1: Goddess of Thunder, by Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman
Traditionally, whosoever holds Mjolnir, if he be worthy, will possess the power of Thor. There’s a great early moment in Goddess of Thunder: the hammer has been abandoned, and a mysterious hand reaches out for it. The old text burns away, and the new Thor is heralded with the promise: “…if she be worthy.” She’ll need to be. Frost Giants are threatening a full-scale invasion of Earth, and Odin isn’t terribly pleased to see the hammer in new hands. It’s pretty rare for a new character to fill old shoes successfully, but the new Thor is revisionism done right.

Wytches, Vol. 1, by Jock and Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder has been running the show on the main Batman book for a while now, but Wytches is something very different: smart, character-based  horror. It’s not just that there’s scary stuff in the woods, it’s the ways in which the scary stuff affects characters about whom we come to care. In Snyder’s vision (with creepy, gorgeous art from Jock), witches are an inhuman, covetous power that will grant you a reprieve, and possibly even your fondest desire, with the promise that you will pledge them the life of another living soul. Escaping a trauma, the members of the Rooks family move to insular Litchfield, New Hampshire to find that the past is never far behind. The past, and the hungry witch-things that live in the woods.

Bitch Planet, Vol. 1, by Kelly Sue DeConnick
In the very near-future, we’ve found a solution to the problem of women who refuse to conform: PRISON IN SPACE. Funny, violent, and unapologetically feminist, this book tells a very different story of women behind bars. Both an homage to and a parody of old exploitation films, it’s a biting social critique with plenty to say about the ways we treat women who refuse to follow the rules.

Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson
Noelle Stevenson’s other big book this year after Lumberjanes, Nimona isn’t a hero, exactly, but it’s hard not to cheer for her. The mischievous, impulsive sidekick to supervillain Lord Ballister Blackheart, Nimona sets out to prove that their medieval kingdom’s beloved Sir Goldenloin isn’t nearly the saint he appears to be. Set in a fantasy world of knights, weird technology, and superpowers, Noelle Stevenson’s storygleefully mixes genres. The art and storytelling have a light, cartoony style, but the narrative evolves into one with surprising depth and a touch of the epic.

The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw, by Ben Dewey, Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek has long been a reliably unique voice in the realm of fantasy comics, and he’s pulled off another new take. The last days of magic are upon a peaceful world of intelligent beasts. A gathering of wizards hopes to save the dying world by bringing forth a long-forgotten hero: a human, whose arrival has dire, unexpected consequences. In spite of the animal cast, there’s nothing cutesy about this epic tale set in a world growing increasingly brutal. Ben Dewey’s lush art brings to life a beautiful and often bloody world.

Shutter, by Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca
There’s really nothing else like this one on the stands. Kate Christopher is a second-generation professional adventurer, with hints of Indiana Jones, who lives in a world where mutants, talking animals, and sentient clocks serve as friends and antagonists. The story opens with an intelligent cat trying to blow up Kate’s apartment, sending Kate on an adventure that leads her deep into the secret history of her late father. It’s a mash-up of elements that probably (definitely) shouldn’t work, but, as in the best fantasy, all the wildly imaginative elements come together to create a story that makes you care.

The Divine, by Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka, and Boaz Lavie
This book from the Israeli creative team of the Hanuka twins and Boaz Lavie is an interesting mash-up of genres, bringing magical realism to a graphic novel. A military mining contract in a fictitious Southeast Asian country sends army buddies Mark and Jason into the heart of a civil war. Led by a couple of little kids with magical powers. And an army of deities. And a dragon. It’s and interesting commentary on war, modern politics, and child soldiers, with plenty of action as well.
What’s the best graphic novel you read in 2015?