Best Graphic Novels of 2006

When I started writing last year’s list I did actually struggle to find that top 10 definitive list of graphic novels that truly stood out this year; we’ve had some absolute stonking contributions that deserve your attention, however it definitely didn’t feel as vibrant as that of last year. I guess the proof is in the pudding, in so much that I’ve brought less books this year than I did in 2005, at least completely original work, and yet I didn’t get the feeling that I was being cheated out of anything.

The thing is I did actually stop reading several series that I generally do pick up. Ultimate Spider-man, Ultimate X-men, X-men, Amazing Spider-man. I also bought less manga this year. In previous years I would continue to by One Piece and Naruto, however this year I only bought Vagabond and a couple of spurious books like Eden and the excellent Path of the Assassin (3 volumes). Humanoids stopped publishing anything and I haven’t really filled that void with anything else to be honest.

What is evident however is that there are a number of ongoing series published in graphic novel format that show a true golden era of comics. It’s come to the stage where at one point if I was asked if there was one comic book series that I could get on a desert island I have no idea, because the plots and characters on several of these series has become so close to me because I’ve been reading their story for YEARS that I wouldn’t be able to answer that question. So 2006 while not a great year overall for excellence in NEW series coming up, it definitely was a triumph in continuing the stories of existing characters, where each book is a gem as a lot of these series will most probably be ending in the a year or two.

10. Invincible
    By Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottely
    In 2006 we saw the second hardcover volume of this truly excellent series published. As Kirkman says in his afterword the book was all over the place and he was just throwing as much stuff on the wall and seeing what was sticking. What this actually did was give the book this incredible sense of imagination in every issue. We’d moved from the overall arc in the first volume and started to explore things a little bit more throughout the entire universe that Kirkman and co had created.

    What’s funny is that Kirkman always says that he would love to write Ultimate Spider-man. I think he should just keep doing what he’s doing with Invincible because he’s creating something uniquely his own, which obviously is paying off for me, as I’ve stopped reading Ultimate Spider-man however will most definitely not be quitting from Invincible any time soon.

9. Young Avengers | Volume 2
   Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung
   Volume 2 of this surprise series was released last year as well. It completes the storyarc and also has the Young Avengers Special in here for good measure. One of the reason this book was such a hit I think is because you actually are not sure how and where this story is actually going, it keeps you guessing. Also making the kids actually likable characters aids in making this book one of the better books published by Marvel last year.

   While Jim doesn’t do all the artwork in this series, the replacements don’t do a terrible job, it’s just that his absence is most definitely felt.

8. Loveless
   By Brian Azzarello and Marcelo Frusin
   Here’s an interesting one, I’m generally not a cowboy story fan. In fact the whole thing usually doesn’t do it for me, except in the extreme circumstances. We’re talk Young Riders TV series and The Unforgiven being the only real exceptions I can think of to be honest. However Loveless, now see this is something special. As you would expect with something from the twisted mind of Brian Azzarello, we’ve got ourselves a bit of a story set after the American civil war.

   The book is all about mood, and in many case about what is not being said than what is being said. Frusin is the perfect companion on this story and is one of the few Vertigo artists that also does his own covers (Jock being the last one I can remember). The ending of this trade bodes incredibly well for the rest of this series.

7. Vagabond
   By Takehiko Inoue
   In 2006 we saw an additional 2 more volumes for this most excellent series. We’re up to volumes 22 and 23 so far and it doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight, which is absolutely brilliant. This is one of those books that depresses me every single time I read it mainly because the artwork is so amazing. It’s very reminiscent of the grand scale of Akira to be honest. For those in the dark as to what this series is about then check out the previous review on volume 1.

   The latest two volumes offer some amazing character development and some great twists, that I’m sure will pan out in unexpected ways in future volumes. If you’ve not read this series yet, you’ve got a LOT of catching up to do. These two volumes only augment that excellence in craft and story.

6. Daredevil | Volume 5 and 6
   By Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev
   I write this with a great sadness in my heart, but the Bendis/Maleev run on Daredevil is over like all good things I guess. Easily the single best set of books that Marvel has published this past year. The team of Bendis and Maleev can go up there with other greats like Azzarello/Risso, Alan Moore/GIbbons, Jenkins/Lee etc. It’s one of those classic runs that will be talked about in the years to come as redefining Daredevil once again. It used to be that Frank Miller was it, whereas now you’ve got Frank Miller, Kevin Smith/Quesada and Bendis/Maleev.

   The great thing is that I’ve heard exceptional things about the Ed Brubaker/Michael Lark run so at least we know that the quality most definitely did not droop. Whether that run comes close to the excellence of this run is something we’re going to have to wait and see, but it’ll be tough, 5 years of near flawless stories is something that is very very tough to top.

5. Fables | Arabian Nights (and days), Wolves and 1001 Nights of Snowfall
   Incredibly strong showing for ALL Fables fans. I mean two compilation graphic novels and an original graphic novel that’s been in the making for god knows how long. I means seriously this was a year to remember. I don’t think 2007 can really match this year, except that we all know that we have Book of Jack (a spin off from Fables) to also look forward to in 2007, so effectively we’ll have twice the helpings of Fables this year.

   I’ll definitely be talking about all of these volumes this year (I’ve only done one review on Fables which is pretty poor to be honest). The only thing I will say however is that I felt that Mark Buckingham was rushed this year to complete a lot of work in a very short period of time. The quality does droop in his latest offering but as I said it looks like he was rushed which is a truly terrible thing as he has made Fables his own book and I wish people would give him 8 issues a year so that he can really pour his heart into and then get Lan Medina (original artist on Fables) to tackle the last remaining 4 issues in the year.

4. Pride of Baghdad
   By Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
   I expected this to be good, but what I hadn’t anticipated was just how good this original graphic novel actually was. I should have known based on Brian’s involvement alone. However although the story was pretty exceptional (about of a pride of lions escaping during the bombing of Iraq), the real star as far as I was concerned was Niko Henrichon. Where the hell did this guy come from? His previous story (which I’ve got to admit I’ve not read) was Branum. This is his second published work and he seriously knocks this one out of the park.

   The real thing that stood out for me was the amazing colour palette that was associated with this story. It was warm and vibrant and beautiful on so many levels.

3. Ex Machina | Fact v. Fiction and March to War
   By Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris
   While this might seem really strange to people to hear, but to be honest, I actually feel a little sad every time another trade of this supremely excellent series comes out. The reason is because every time it’s released, we eb closer to the finishing line on this brilliantly put together series. It’s definitely one of those books (like 100 Bullets, Preacher, Lone Wolf and Cub) where the writer and the artist have a complete understanding of what the other is trying to achieve. When doing this they’ll provide magic on the page. That magic is apparent on the pages of Ex Machina.

   I’m not sure which of the two compilations I enjoyed more to be honest, although I’ll probably go down the second book route, mainly because Chris Sprouse does an AMAZING job in retaining the style of Tony Harris while definitely not aping it in any way. It’s an amazing feat that only one as talented as Chris could achieve. Obviously the stories and the plot threads are carried forward in a great way that only Brian seems to be able to achieve.

2. 100 Bullets | Strychnine Lives and Decayed
   The second volume ONLY just made this list as it was technically released in the last week of 2006. As my comic store didn’t get the very final book until this week I’m going to have to put it on this list, I know technicalities and all that. Having said that you can most certainly not do ANY wrong with 100 bullets. The latest book takes up to issue 75. That means there’s only 25 more issues before this series wraps up which is an INCREDIBLE achievment, considering the climate that this book first started publishing itself.

   This series ranks up there with Preacher in that the writer and the artist are in complete sync. While Fables and Sandman offer some incredible stories, the artists do vary (and sometimes that’s a good thing) there is something to be said about pure and utter consistency in a story. 75 Bullets down, another 25 to go. I expect another 4 maybe 5 more trade paperbacks to go, which means at least another 2 years where this book will be on this end of year list. If you’ve not picked up 100 Bullets you honestly don’t know what you’re missing out on. Best crime comic on the market, EVER.

1. Blade of the Immortal | Trickster
   By Hiroaki Samura
   When I think about great comics I always think about Blade of the Immortal. I have been reading this series consistantly for the last 6 years (probably more) and it never ceases to amaze me every time it comes out. Unfortunately it doesn’t come out as a collection half as regularly as I would want it to be completely honest as 1 single trade in the entire 2006 is a poor showing, however I don’t have to wait long for the next collection so I’m not as angry as I should be.

   I guess the only saving grace that I can throw Dark Horse’s way is that when this book does eventually come out I’m completely and utterly in awe of just how great it actually is. Easily the best manga being published today and I think you’ll know just how much manga gets published throughout the year if you care to venture into any bookstore.

   See the fear for me is ever having taken this book for granted, because it’s a HUGE disservice to this book. In 10 years time when this book is over it’ll be remembered as one of the greatest samurai manga ever published.