The time has come to reveal the comics that I liked best in 2008. Once again, I am only concerned with the titles that I read for the first time in 2008. Actual release dates are not relevant to me here.
1. Buddha by Osamu Tezuka is available in an eight-volume set from Vertical. I think I read six of the volumes in 2008. I finished the series just a few weeks ago in the early days of 2009. Tezuka's epic tale of the life of Buddha was originally written between 1974 and 1984. You would expect the epicness, but there is also tons of hilarity. A truly amazing comic that should be read by everyone.
2. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen. I finally picked up the trade paperback of the first series and it is wonderful. I had read issue one back in 2006 and I looked forward to finishing it ever since. I can't wait till the second series is collected.
3. Is Brian Wood the best writer working in comics today? Maybe. Northlanders: Sven The Returned is my third favorite read of 2008. These Vikings are vital and contemporary. The reader is not hidden behind a cloak of history. Local and DMZ are two other fine examples of Brian Wood's writing you should check out. The art by Davide Gianfelice is perfect.
4. Sshhhh! by Jason is a wonderful wordless comic. I have been wanting to get into Jason's work for a couple years now and I am glad this was my first. Originally released in 2002, it really is amazing the amount of emotion that Jason gets out of these drawings. Much better than the second book from Jason that I read. I look forward to experiencing more from Jason.
5. Disappearance Diary by Hideo Azuma comes in at number five. There are three stories in the book and I love two of them. If the third was as good as the other two, then this would be higher on the list. Azuma was a popular manga artist who developed a drinking problem, disappeared twice, and was finally forcibly committed to an alcohol rehabilitation program. Disappearance Diary is a humorous chronicle of that journey.
Honorable mentions: The Complete Peanuts Volumes 1-3 by Charles M. Schulz, The Quest For The Missing Girl by Jiro Taniguchi, Polly & The Pirates by Ted Naifeh, Crying Freeman Volume 1 by Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami, and Apollo's Song by Osamu Tezuka.
The worst comic I read in 2008 was Scooter Girl by Chynna Clugston-Major. I really didn't like this comic. Was I supposed to root for Margaret as she tried to destroy Ashton's life? Was I supposed to hope Ashton destroyed her first? Whatever. I thought they were both idiots and I didn't care who won.
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