Welcome to our end of the year list! Unlike other sites, we give all of our writers the opportunity to make their own picks. What you'll read below and on the rest of the site is a list of each individual writer's picks. As much as we like making our choices, we love hearing yours so let us know what you'd pick for the "What Are You Looking Forward to From 2016?" below in the comments.
ASA: Image Comics' Continued Excellence
As of next year, all of my top four writers will have multiple books in publication simultaneously at Image. With a continued dedication to good storytelling and low-priced trades, Image has become the primary publisher I am reading and this trend looks to continue in 2016 as they continue to give the best of DC, Marvel, and Indie comics a platform to tell amazing stories. Now if they can get the ball rolling on the end of Warren Ellis's 'Fell', it will truly be the year of Image.
DUSTIN: Better Comics
Last year I wanted more comics. I was just looking forward to comics in general. Well that didn't happen. In fact, I think 2015 has been one of the shittier years for comics in a long time. There was some greatness. It shown brightly, but now I think we need better comics in general. Publishers seemed desperate for books to compete with the big two and each other and that works out well for creators because shit that was passed on twelve times ended up being made. Well it sucked for us readers. I will state one more time for the fucking record that I gave up on too many series after second issue because they were garbage. I went back for this list and read the third issue of a handful of them and fuck me I wish I hadn't. I was right to walk away on two and I do not want that shit to happen next year. Better comics. That's all I want. Even if you have to release less, better comics sell better... more money. That's the basics of this business, but we act like it's a fucking Omega code to crack.
PABLO: Power Rangers Comic
Have I mentioned that I FUCKING LOVE THE POWER RANGERS? I loved them when I was a kid all the way into somwhere in my teens, and stopped watching somwhere around Dino Thunder. I then left the series for years, and recently I dug them out again and it was like finding that old big ex you had an amicable break-up with, but lost contact. Then one day she/he calls you and you hit it off again. What's that? Thank you! You look great too? You've grown over 500 hours of more episodes since I last saw you? Nah, I got nothing to do for the next 6 months or so, I'm down to watch all of you on Neflix.
CHRIS: Awesome Comics from Independent Publishers
Dark Horse and Image (my two favorite publishers) put out an immense amount of new material this year. Image left Marvel and DC in the dust, and continues to put out some of the best and most exciting on-going series. I'm constantly blown away by the amount of new series and mini-series that both publishers put out regularly and eagerly await the fresh talent they dig up for this coming year!
AUSTIN: Marvel Comics Collapse
The newest Marvel relaunch, as of me writing this (because lord knows there will be 5 more renumberings before I even finish typing this parenthetical) is selling like shit. For years we've been told the X-Men aren't being pushed into a corner, but it's pretty clear that relationships between movie studios and the money publishers get for #1's is driving most if not all of Marvel's decision making on the comic front. Given the buzz many DC comics have going into this next year, the novelty of all-new, all-more-of-the-same Marvel might wear off just in time that maybe, just maybe, someone will right this sinking ship and try to sell comics at this publisher that are good.
KEVIN: The Fall of Comics
Hear more about the "Fall of Comics" on this week's episode of the podcast!
JAMES: More MCU Netflix Shows
I once thought that binge watching was bad for the soul, but with the quality and scope of what we are seeing on Netflix, I take that back. I find myself watching and rewatching these well done stories, giving me even more love and respect for what I am seeing. I can't wait for more and a very high bar has been set for future shows. Bring it Netflix and Marvel. Bring it.