The 10 Best Comics Of January, 2016

10. “Old Man Logan #1”
Publisher: Marvel Comics
By Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino

I didn’t know what to expect from this book other than that I like the writer/artist team, and I had read the previous “Old Man Logan” arc in “Wolverine.” But “Old Man Logan” is something way beyond what could have been delivered by a time/universe traveling old Wolverine tale. It’s dark and disturbing, but also surprisingly heartfelt: the parallel storylines featuring a pacifist Wolverine in the “future” and a broken, angry Wolverine in “our” time give this prevenge story an emotional heft that elevates it to something special.

9. “The Beauty #6”
Publisher: Image Comics
By Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley

It was a good long while before this Top Cow Pilot Season winner finally picked up from its first issue, but “The Beauty” — which finished its first story arc this month — was worth the wait. It started as a speculative science fiction story about an STD that turns its afflicted beautiful, and ended up growing into a conspiracy theory book that actually answered questions and wrapped up (relatively) neatly in six issues. Often in the post-“Lost” world conspiracy books will delve far too much into mythology, but “The Beauty” never lost sight of its central premise, or the human cost to its characters.

8. “Batman #48”
Publisher: DC Comics
By Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

After multiple Joker stories, and decades of comics, it’s jaw-dropping that Snyder and Capullo can find a brand-new riff on the classic Joker/Batman dynamic… But that’s exactly what they did in issue #48. There’s a bunch of great stuff throughout with gigantic, villainous plant/bone/whatever guy Mr. Bloom carting around a broken Batman (now former Commissioner Gordon) like a rag doll, a looming battle featuring an army of Bat-bots, and your regular assortment of things going to hell in Gotham.

But the central feature of the book and main draw is a quiet conversation on a park bench with the Joker and Bruce Wayne, both of whom were reborn without their memories, and both of whom are struggling against falling back into their old habits. It’s a by turns beautiful and terrifying conversation that asks a deep, disturbing question: can anyone ever really change?

7. “Cry Havoc #1”
Publisher: Image Comics
By Simon Spurrier and Ryan Kelly

There’s a lot going on in this first issue, and it’s a testament to Spurrier and Kelly’s storytelling skills that they keep this supernatural tale humming throughout. A lesbian, maybe sort of werewolf is recruited onto a more realistic Howling Commandos crew in the past, and in the present has to deal with her curse and the repercussions. Rarely does a first issue actually capture the feeling of a really good television pilot — the page numbers don’t usually allow the room to get everything in one issue — but “Cry Havoc” does and then some.

6. “Grayson #16”
Publisher: DC Comics
By Tom King, Tim Seeley and Mikel Janin

“Grayson” was a creatively structured comic anyway, and then they went and had an issue where Dick spent the entire time annoying his partner with a self-composed theme song. Janin’s art perfectly complements the lyrics, and this is, in a word, a perfect issue. Now will someone go and record the theme song already?

5. “Negative Space #3”
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
By Ryan K. Lindsay and Owen Gieni

Why are we all so sad? Because evil monsters from other-space have created a massive, secret company that perpetuates our sadness… Because those monsters eat sadness. And the only person who can stop them is a writer who just tried (unsuccessfully) to commit suicide. Pretty much as dark as comics get, while also embracing what makes them a creative medium unlike any other (this issue mostly takes place underwater and in a dreamscape, so take that, movies), “Negative Space” delves even further into the main character’s sadness in this penultimate issue to discover something surprising that’s not trite, not an easy solution, but something almost every reader can relate to.

4. “Tokyo Ghost #5”
Publisher: Image Comics
By Rick Remender and Sean Gordon Murphy

Rick Remender has a habit of making you think his comic is about one thing, and then twisting it into another down the road. This started as a trip through an all too real future where we’re plugged into the internet 24 hours a day, following two bounty hunters tasked with tracking down criminals who would exploit this new reality. But over time it became more about unplugging than being plugged in, and after a full issue of over-the-top, gorgeously choreographed action by Murphy, the true crux of the series is revealed in a modern age “Romeo & Juliet” twist. It’s distressing and painful to read, but we wouldn’t have gotten to this emotional crux without four issues of build-up.

3. “Doctor Strange #4”
Publisher: Marvel Comics
By Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo

Full confession: this was the first issue of “Doctor Strange” I’ve read (of the new run), and I subsequently went back and consumed the first few issues, it was just that good. But you don’t actually need to have read anything before this as it’s a master-class in how to make the issue format work for an ongoing comic book. Titled “The Art Of Puking Without Puking,” we’re introduced to a younger Strange still on his way to becoming Sorcerer Supreme who learns the art of the title, why it’s important to being a magician, and how it ties into his current, world-threatening predicament. “Doctor Strange” has by definition often been mired in weirdness, and this run doesn’t vie away from the weird — but also makes Strange shockingly human and relatable as a battle magician along the way.

2. “Patsy Walker Aka Hellcat #2”
Publisher: Marvel Comics
By Kate Leth and Brittney Williams

It makes my heart ache how good this book is. Patsy Walker is an adrift twenty-something without a job or a purpose, wrestling with the annoying romance book series from her past getting a second printing via her biggest enemy, her friends new and old seemingly becoming more successful than her, and just generally being a human being trying to make it in the weird world of New York. In fact, the character interactions and plot are so good, it’s almost a bummer whenever she gets into a superhero fight, or is teased with an upcoming end of the world type scheme. Almost.

But what elevates this issue is the awesome lady superhero meeting Patsy calls the issue’s end, which is basically everything good about comics in a few short pages — and has the most adorable Squirrel Girl in the history of Squirrel Girl comics. Do not miss this book.

1. “The Fade Out #12”
Publisher: Marvel Comics
By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

It’s a little ridiculous to point out how good Brubaker and Phillips are at making noir comics, but this tale of Hollywood intrigue and murder was — arguably — their best yet. Beyond the extraordinary characterization and tricky, trippy plot, what lifts this issue above the others is how it doesn’t provide any easy answers. You may — or may not — discover the solution to the mystery we’ve been following this past year, but that doesn’t mean you really know why it all happened. And certainly, nothing is better in the world for learning those secrets. “The Fade Out” worked perfectly as serial fiction, read month to month — but I’m looking forward to revisiting it in the trade format, too.

Bonus: Some other titles that almost made the list and were really hard to leave off… “Southern Bastards #13,” “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4,” “Faith #1” and “The Mighty Thor #3.” All great, and all well worth your time and moolah.