A few days ago I did my best of 2014 list for the comics I read in the second half of 2014. And back in July of 2014, I did the first “best comics of 2014” post. The reason I mention that is because of the changes I’ve made for this list. While previously I used to do it so that I put up my top 6 comics, in July’14 I did a top 12 on account of the increased number of comics I was reading at the time. And that same holds true for this list as well since I’ve gone up on the number yet again, and this list has the top 20 and then 20 honourable mentions.
More comics, yay!
So, with the books of the second half of 2014 already having been covered, I now delve into my favourite monthly comics of the same period. The next post will be a list of the top graphic novels I read in all of 2014.
Let’s see what makes the cut and which comes close then!
A few notes:
- The list is divided into two sections – the Top 20 and the Honourable Mentions. As you’ll notice, I’m doing a round-up of a much higher number of comics this time around, as I’ve been reading well over a hundred comics each month, and there are just too many good ones to not share here.
- The full creative team for each issue.
- And just to repeat, this is a July 2014 to December 2014 list.
- The numbering is just for convenience, and because I like numbers.
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More lists from me:
- Top 25 Series I Want To Read in 2013
- Top 25 Series I Want To Read in 2014
- 2012 Best of the Best Part 1
- 2012 Best of the Best Part 2
- 2012 Best Debuts
- 2013 Best Debuts
- 2013 Best of the Best Part 1
- 2013 Best of the Best Part 2a: Books
- 2013 Best of the Best Part 2b: Graphic Novels
- 2013 Best of the Best Part 2c: Monthly Comics
- 2014 Best of the Best Part 1a: Books
- 2014 Best of the Best Part 1b: Monthly Comics
- 2014 Best of the Best Part 2a: Books
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Best of the Best Monthly Comics
The Top 20 –
1. Death Vigil #5 by Stjepan Sejic
The enemy stands revealed. An ancient order of immortal necromancers known as the Pale Court has resurfaced, and Bernie is plagued by unclear memories and great sorrow as more vigil members fall. One last veilripper remains to be claimed before…
2. Red Sonja #13 by Gail Simone, Walter Geovani, Adriano Lucas, Simon Bowland and Jenny Frison
Beginning a new Sonja epic that will shake the She-Devil to her core! In THE FORGIVING OF MONSTERS, PART ONE, the Hyrkanian finds herself aiding a small village against a hideous and bloody infestation, while an enemy from her past threatens to crush her spirit forever!
3. Wayward #5 by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings, Tamra Bonvillain, Marshall Dillon and Zack Davisson
IMAGE COMICS’S SUPERNATURAL SENSATION!
The first story arc ends. Revelation and sacrifice.
4. John Carter: Warlord of Mars #2 by Ron Marz, Abhishek Malsuni, Zsolt H. Garisa, Nanjan Zamberi, Rob Steen, Ed Benes and Dinei Ribeiro
Alien invaders are on the verge of conquering all Barsoom. Only one man stands between them and the planet’s annihilation: John Carter, Warlord of Mars. But John is marooned deep in the Martian wastes, confronted by a savage white ape. Even if he survives, how will he return to the side of his beloved Dejah Thoris in time to save his adopted world?
Ron Marz finally tackles the series he’s always wanted to write, teaming with rising artistic star Abhishek Malsuni for the best Barsoom ever!
5. Hexed #5 by Michael Alan Nelson, Dan Mora, Gabriel Cassata and Ed Dukeshire
The start of a brand-new arc, a perfect jumping-on point! The chaos at the gala may be over, but a whole new set of problems emerge for Lucifer as she attempts to recover the stolen artifacts from Val’s demolished gallery and enters into a magical arms race with Madame Cymbaline that’s nigh-unwinnable.
6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #10 by Christos Gage, Rebekah Isaacs, Dan Jackson, Richard Starkings, Steve Morris and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
With the responsibility of writing new rules in the Vampyr book, Buffy and crew are literally the bosses of all magic—but as more baddies learn who has the power, protecting the book is becoming a full-time job!
7. Black Widow #13 by Nathan Edmondson, Phil Noto and VC’s Clayton Cowles
The world has turned against Black Widow. Her web is broken. How will she deal with this? The final path to Chaos is at her feet, but will her own demons keep her from finally taking it? What happened to Isaiah? Can Black Widow still turn to the Avengers, or even to SHIELD? The creative team celebrates the first FULL YEAR of their astonishing unbroken run!
8. King Conan: The Conqueror #6 by Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello, José Villarrubia, Richard Starkings and Comicraft
As Xaltotun and his traitorous lackeys face the returning King Conan, it’s their black magic against Conan’s fury and steel! The barbarian has an oath of vengeance to keep, some powerful friends of his own by his side, and a promise of love to fulfill! The epic adaptation’s thunderous climax!
* Conan confronts an ancient evil as he seeks to regain his crown!
9. The Phantom Stranger: Future’s End #1 by Dan Didio, J. M. DeMatteis, Phil Winslade, Guy Major, Dave Sharpe, Guillem March and Tomeu Morey
10. Secret Avengers #11 by Ales Kot, Michael Walsh, Matthew Wilson, VC’s Clayton Cowles and Tradd Moore
Vladimir makes a deal with the Fury. Is this a good thing? Is this a bad thing? We won’t tell! But you’ll find out!
Helicarrier is under attack. Spider-Woman engages. M.O.D.O.K. gets the message.
11. Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #18 by Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, Jordan Boyd, Saida Temafonte and Lawrence Reynolds
12. Star-Spangled War Stories Featuring G.I. Zombie: Future’s End #1 by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Scott Hampton, Rob Leigh and Dave Johnson
13. Aquaman #37 by Jeff Parker, Paul Pelletier, Sean Parsons, Rain Beredo and Dezi Sienty
14. Samurai Jack #15 by Jim Zub, Andy Suriano, Josh Burcham and Shawn Lee
Jack faces Aku in one-on-one combat and both are determined to make it their final battle. Past and present collide in this epic conclusion to the “Quest of the Broken Blade” storyline. Don’t miss it!
15. Batgirl #34 by Gail Simone, Fernando Pasarin, Jonathan Glapion, Matt Ryan, Blond, Dezi Sienty and Alex Garner
“Deadline” concludes as Batgirl teams with Huntress and Black Canary to stop the evil of Obscura! After everything Barbara has been though to become Batgirl – will she be undone by her demons?
16. Ms. Marvel #10 by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Ian Herring, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson and Kris Anka
• Kamala bands together with some unlikely heroes against the maniacal Inventor.
• But has she taken on more than she can handle?
• Find out why Ms. Marvel is the best new super hero of the year!
17. Velvet #7 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Elizabeth Breitweiser and Chris Eliopoulos
THE SECOND ARC CONTINUES! While Velvet’s been on the run, ARC-7’s top men have been hunting her…now they have her trail, and soon she’ll be in Colt’s sights.
18. Supergirl #37 by K. Perkins, Mike Johnson, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Hi-Fi, Rob Leigh and Tomeu Morey
It’s Supergirl’s first day as a student in the Crucible Academy! What is the mystery of the Academy? Who are her fellow students? And what happens if she decides to get herself expelled before she graduates?
19. Unity #11 by Matt Kindt, Steven Segovia, Pere Perez, Brian Hurtt, Brian Level, Raul Allen, Joe Eisma, Ryan Lee, Allen Passalaqua, Dave Sharpe, CAFU and Diego Bernard
Last hope. Last stand.
In the wake of Livewire’s stunning sacrifice, how will X-O Manowar, Ninjak, and the Eternal Warrior comes to terms? With a punishing revenge mission led by Bloodshot, that’s how! If it bleeds, they can kill it…and the leaner, meaner Unity team just became a living, breathing box of armor-piercing rounds. The Armor Hunters put Earth in their bullseye… Now, the bullseye bites back!
20. Transformers: Windblade #4 by Mairghread Scott, Sarah Stone and Chris Mowry
THE FATE OF CYBERTRON!
PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE! WINDBLADE seeks out the last refuge she has left, the living city METROPLEX as his malfunctions intensify! WINDBLADE realizes that even if she survives STARSCREAM, METROPLEX himself may doom them all!
Honourable Mentions –
1. Catwoman Annual #2 by Genevieve Valentine, Pat Olliffe, Tom Nguyen, John McCrea, Lee Loughridge, Travis Lanham and Garry Brown
The Hasigawa crime family has been a big thorn in Selina’s side as she grapples with the underworld. Now learn the secret of how their stories intersect!
2. Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur’s Gate #3 by Jim Zub, Max Dunbar, John-Paul Bove, Neil Uyetake and Sarah Stone
A knockdown brawl at a noble party, a frantic chase along the rooftops, kidnapping, extortion, and monsters aplenty… Yup, just another day in Baldur’s Gate.
3. G.I. Joe v4 #4 by Karen Traviss, Steve Kurth, Kito Young and Tom B. Long
ON THE RUN!
The G.I. Joe team is in pursuit of their target, a revolutionary warlord—but he has a snake in his midst… as the COBRA peacekeeping force circles, SCARLETT’s decisions force other military agencies into action.
4. Grimm Fairy Tales #101 by Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Pat Shand, Andrea Meloni, Renato Guerra, Jim Campbell and Artgerm
A new era begins for Grimm Fairy Tales! With the four realms of power – Myst, Neverland, Oz, and Wonderland – at Sela Mather’s fingertips, life as the Guardian of Earth has never been more work. However, when Sela is put in charge of a group of young, powerful highborns, she finds that protecting the world from the threat of otherworldly forces may be the least of her worries.
5. The Kitchen #2 by Ollie Masters, Ming Doyle, Jordie Bellaire, Clem Robins and Becky Cloonan
In part two of the all-new crime drama THE KITCHEN, the girls find their newly claimed criminal empire under threat when a sleazy hustler blackmails them for more money than they have. Can they get it together in time and keep control of the Hell’s Kitchen underworld? Or will they have to take more drastic measures to protect their turf?
6. Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm War #5 by Joe Brusha, Sami Kivela, Maxflan Araujo, Jim Campbell and Artgerm
Sela finds herself against impossible odds as the Dark Queen continues to stay a step ahead. But unbeknownst to anyone, there’s a chink in the Queen’s armor, but Sela must find it in time before all is lost. *AGE OF DARKNESS Tie-in*
7. Sabrina #1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Robert Hack and Jack Morelli
NEW ONGOING SERIES!
Terror is born anew in this dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s origin. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family’s past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda. Archie Comic’s latest horror sensation starts here!
8. Scarlet Spiders #2 by Mike Costa, Paco Diaz, Israel Silva, VC’s Travis Lanham and David Nakayama
SPIDER-VERSE MARCHES ON!
• As the Scarlet Spiders find themselves even deeper in Jennix’s twisted realm, what friends or foes will they find waiting for them?
• A classic Spider-Man ally makes an appearance, but not in the way you expect… and the Scarlet Spiders might not survive the experience!
9. Thanos Annual #1 by Jim Starlin, Ron Lim, Andy Smith, Val Staples, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Dale Keown and Ive Svorcina
• Jim Starlin returns to Thanos, and he’s brought INFINITY GAUNTLET artist Ron Lim with him!
• Thanos must face Mephisto, his future self, the Avengers and more!
• Learn how a devastating defeat in Thanos’ past set events into motion that will redefine the Marvel Universe in the near future!
• A prequel to the upcoming THANOS: THE INFINITY REVELATION original graphic novel!
10. Tomb Raider #6 by Gail Simone, Nicolás Daniel Selma, Juan Gedeon, Michael Atiyeh, Michael Heisler and Dan Scott
11. Spider-Verse Team-Up #1 by Christos Gage, Dave Williams, Dexter Vines, Chris Sotomayor, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Roger Stern, Bob McLeod and Andrew Crossley
SPIDER-VERSE TIE-IN!
Which is obvious from the title!
• TWO SPIDEY-STORIES PER ISSUE!
• The old-man Spider-Man from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #500 and Spider-Ham team-up to recruit BEN REILLY!
• Spider-Man Noir and a Six-Armed Spider-Man go on a mission that terrifies them more than anything they’ve ever seen!
12. Sinestro: Future’s End #1 by Cullen Bunn, Igor Lima, Ruy Jose, Jason Wright, Dave Sharpe and Kevin Nowland
Sinestro has been imprisoned by a powerful new intergalactic force with ideals based on a twisted version of his own code! Lost in a super-max prison on the far side of the universe, he orchestrates an escape…and his revenge!
13. Predator: Fire and Stone #2 by Joshua Williamson, Christopher Mooneyham, Dan Brown, Nate Piekos of Blambot and Lucas Graciano
After the mayhem and terror of Weyland-Yutani’s disastrous mission to the site of the Prometheus, Galgo’s troubles continue when his ship is shanghaied by a Predator stowaway! Its obsession with a mysterious, deadly quarry sends them to the last place in the universe Galgo’d like to revisit—the Xeno-infested LV-223!
* Dark Horse’s Prometheus event goes on the prowl!
* Joshua Williamson (Nailbiter, Captain Midnight) is Multiversity’s breakout writer of 2013!
* Five Ghosts’s Chris Mooneyham pits Predator against vicious game!
14. New Suicide Squad #4 by Sean Ryan, Tom Derenick, Rob Hunter, Trevor Scott, Blond, Taylor Esposito and Jeremy Roberts
Outgunned and out of time, this could be the end for Harley, Deadshot and The Joker’s Daughter as they struggle to survive in Russia against Deathstroke!
15. Grayson #1 by Tim Seeley, Tom King, Mikel Janin, Jeromy Cox, Carlos M. Mangual and Andrew Robinson
Dick Grayson. Former sidekick. Former Super Hero. Former dead man. And now…agent of Spyral?!A thrilling new chapter of Dick Grayson’s life begins in this new, ongoing series. It’s a super-spy thriller that will shock you and prove one thing: You might think you know Nightwing – but you don’t know Dick.
16. Fantastic Four #13 by James Robinson, Leonard Kirk, Karl Kesel, Jesus Aburtov and VC’s Clayton Cowles
THE BLUE IS BACK, BABY!
• The rebuilding of the FF starts here, with the return of the BLUE UNIFORMS!
• Can THE THING and SANDMAN escape from super villain prison?
• Camp Hammond attacked and the FUTURE FOUNDATION kids kidnapped…by THOR?
17. Witchblade #178 by Ron Marz, Laura Braga, Betsy Gonia and Troy Peteri
Witchblade bearer Sara Pezzini has discovered the shocking identity of the new Angelus host, and now faces a decision with universe-shattering consequences. Does she dare confront the Angelus, and risk destroying not only the universal balance, but even the very fabric reality?
18. Death of Wolverine #4 by Charles Soule, Steve McNiven, Jay Leisten, Justin Ponsor and Chris Eliopoulos
IT’S THE BEGINNING OF THE END – 3 MONTHS TO DIE ENDS HERE!
• The beginning of the end is now here … THE DEATH OF WOLVERINE!
• THREE MONTHS TO DIE, the loss of Wolverine’s healing factor–all led to this, the single most important X-Men event of the decade.
• Logan has spent over a century being the best there is at what he does…but even the best fade away eventually.
• Over the years, Logan has been a warrior, a hero, a renegade, a samurai, a teacher—and so much more. But now, the greatest X-Men hero will play a role he’s never played before in this special weekly event brought to you by industry superstars Charles Soule and Steve McNiven.
19. Trinity of Sin #1 by J. M. DeMatteis, Yvel Guichet, Jason Gorder, Dezi Sienty, Gabe Eltaeb, Guillem March and Tomeu Morey
Pandora, The Phantom Stranger and The Question have hated each other for centuries…and nothing has changed! Now the Trinity of Sin are forced to work together to save humanity and uncover the darkest secrets of the universe in this new ongoing series!
20. Justice League #37 by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson and Carlos M. Mangual
Super heroes are no more! What it means to be human is in question! The world is on the brink of a new stage of evolution – or total extinction! – and it’s up to the Justice League to save it! “THE AMAZO VIRUS” continues to devastate the Western World as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor struggle to not only contain the virus, but cure those affected by it. But as they work against the clock, a legion of assassins is out for Lex Luthor’s head. Will the Justice League protect Luthor…or the world?
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So that’s all for now. Hope you enjoyed that!
Shadowhawk's Shade 
Reblogged this on Locating Frankenstein's Brain.
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