With the honorable mentions out of the way, let's get to the main course of this series of articles - the top 10 best comics published as a part of Marvel's All-New, All-Different lineup. Let's dive right it.
10. (tie) Howard the Duck + The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
Howard the Duck - Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones
As you’ve probably guessed from my prior comic reviews for the site, I love weird comics. So far, Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones have done a remarkable job of continuing the adventures of everyone’s favorite cranky fowl. It makes fun of comics, but not with venomous malice. It’s obvious that both Chip and Joe love what they do. They put effort into every lovingly crafted joke, whether it’s Howard arguing with Tara or Spider-Man being even more neurotic than usual. I can’t wait to see what Chip and Joe will do next for Marvel. One thing’s for sure, it’ll be a quality product. (Zachary)
Marvel NOW! 2.0 status: ends next week
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The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl - Ryan North, Erica Hernandez
From the first few pages of her first volume, where she was singing her own take on a famous theme song, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl captured our hearts with her sharp dialogue, fun artwork and irreverent tone. Since then, the series keeps soaring to new heights, combining fun and zany plots with a ton of heart and occasionally some very timely moral lessons. I absolutely love it, and it’s a great counterbalance to some of the darker comics out there. (Aranwe)
Marvel NOW! 2.0 status: ongoing
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09. Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! - Kate Leth, Brittney Williams
Aranwe: Now, I’ll be honest. Before her debut on the excellent first season of Jessica Jones, I knew next to nothing about Patsy (called “Trish” on the show) Walker. When I heard about the comic, I picked it up expecting something dark and Alias-y. What I got instead seemed to be, at first glance, more akin to Squirrel Girl than anything else (not that there’s anything wrong with that). However, despite the bright, colourful artwork and cheery characters, I soon realised there was an underlying element of darkness to the series. Patsy is a character who has literally been to hell and back, and it shows. It’s not often you see a comic that so expertly balances two contrasting tones as well as this one does.
Dominik: Patsy has probably the weirdest history of any Marvel character, starting out as a star of her own romance comic and later becoming an actual superheroine. What I love about this comic is how Kate Leth (who is finally getting the spotlight she deserves) combines the two seemingly irreconcilable parts of that history and making an awesome comic, which stands out from Marvel’s current crop of comedic titles. Add the cartoonishness of Brittney Williams artwork, She-Hulk, possibly the best use of Jessica Jones in years and a heartbreaking Civil War II tie-in – and you’ll get a title you simply can’t miss.
Marvel NOW! 2.0 status: ongoing
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08. Captain America: Sam Wilson - Nick Spencer, Daniel Acuña
Zachary: Captain America: Sam Wilson does a great job at mixing real-world politics with classic comic plots. At first, I thought it was a little weird that the issues started with mock Twitter accounts, but as the series went on, I realized that it actually worked very well. We see how the ordinary people in the Marvel universe react to all the weirdness and take it in stride. Unfortunately, this also results in more prejudice. Almost immediately, a social media campaign erupts to try to get Sam Wilson to stop wielding his mighty shield. Additionally, the classic villainous group Serpent Society gets a modern-day revamp as a racist organization. This results in some marvelous satire at the expense of Donald Trump and a compelling plot about how Sam deals with the frustration of a group of outright racists suddenly declaring themselves to be legitimate. Finally, CapWolf. Nick Spencer brings it back and makes it even cooler!
Aranwe: Now, I’m honestly not as familiar with CapWolf as Zach, and while it was a fun subplot, I felt it maybe detracted a little bit from the important political messages of the comic, particularly as it came shortly after the series was making headlines and gaining popularity for featuring Cap fighting anti-immigrant white supremacists. It’s a bit of an odd creative decision to bring in such a quirky element to the story at such a juncture, but I also can’t fault a comic book for being a comic book. The current arc, which combines the Civil War II plot elements with the private police force called the Americops to create a powerful analogue for racial profiling and police brutality; a particularly important message for our times.
Marvel NOW! 2.0 status: ongoing
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07. Ultimates - Al Ewing, Kenneth Rocafort
Zachary: The Ultimates is a roller coaster of a comic, with exhilarating plots, powerful characters, and heady concepts. For all you Galactus fans out there, we have Galactus. It’s definitely a treat if you loved Al Ewing’s run on Mighty Avengers and Captain America And The Mighty Avengers. Blue Marvel has become one of my favorite lesser-known Marvel characters. If a movie is made, presumably in the next phase after Infinity War concludes, I hope that he appears. It’s such a cool take on the bigger entities in the universe. With Captain Marvel, Blue Marvel, Spectrum, Miss America, and Black Panther, it’s basically a friendlier version of the Illuminati. I promise that your jaw will drop and awe will be inspired.
Aranwe: Speaking of Blue Marvel in a movie, I have two words for you: Keith David. It would be perfect. I can’t say more than Zach has, it’s really an excellent series, and a unique take on the superhero team sub-genre. Read it.
Dominik: I love how that despite being a mainstream superhero team, the Ultimates’ first method of response is never violence, but instead attempting to find a scientific solution to the ultimate problems plaguing the Marvel universe. While recently the comic suffered badly from Captain Marvel’s character derailment thanks to Civil War II, it’s still one of my favorite titles, with its only flaw being not having enough of America Chavez (but then, that’s a complaint I can cast at any comic Marvel’s publishing). I look forward to its Marvel Now sequel series, Ultimates2, when the series returns to its main plot.
Marvel NOW! 2.0 status: replaced by Ultimates2
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06. The Amazing Spider-Man - Dan Slott, Giuseppe Camuncoli
Zachary: Spider-Man has been my favorite Marvel superhero ever since a friend lent me some Brand New Day volumes at summer camp. When I eventually got back to my home state, I made sure to run to the comics section at my local library and the rest is history. All of Dan Slott’s run on Spider-Man has felt like a classic version of the hero. Witty, interesting, and filled with the classic villains. Dan Slott obviously loves going back throughout Marvel’s history and finding the coolest characters to revive. The post-Secret Wars run only enhances the awesomeness by putting Peter into a new situation. Namely, one where he’s actually running a successful business. All of Dan’s previous major arcs have been leading to this and it shows. He’s putting a lot of effort into a world-spanning story and I can’t wait to see what Dead No More brings to the table.
Aranwe: All cards on the table: it took me a while to get into this run of Spider-Man’s adventures. Seeing Peter Parker as a Tony Stark-esque corporate CEO, complete with his own ‘bodyguard’ alibi was a very tough leap for someone who identifies so much with the nerdy high school kid, and the long and tedious Zodiac arc did not help. Bringing Tony Stark in for the next few issues really did help though, as it showed how Peter still has the same insecurities in so many ways, and helped us reconnect with the character again.
Marvel NOW! 2.0 status: ongoing
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And that's it for this week. Next time, we finally reveal the five best ANAD Marvel titles. We'll see you then!
Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.
Dominik Zine is a nerdy lad from northeastern Poland and is generally found in a comfy chair with a book in hand.
Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.
