Top 10 comics of 2023

Word Balloons #1198: Matt's favorite comic-book reads of the year

Now that 2023 is in the rear-view mirror, I’m taking a look back at some of my favorite titles of the year. 

For many comic shops, it was a down year, and numbers indicate graphic novel sales at bookstores were down from the pandemic era. There’s lots of hand-wringing about what’s wrong with the industry, but I think part of the problem is the difficulty in cutting through the noise and getting attention for things that are good.  

There were lots of comics I enjoyed in 2023 – and in an effort to boost signal for some things I enjoyed, here are my top 10! (Recaps in part adapted from my previous writing on these series in my monthly top 10 lists.) 

There are many, many terrific comics and graphic novels I didn’t get to this year, and tastes may vary even on the things I did read – if something you loved isn’t on this list, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! 

10. Void Rivals 

Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo de Felici are the creative team of this sci-fi tale about two rivals in a space war who crash-land on a desolate planet. Kirkman stealth-launched his “Energon Universe” here, but it’s a compelling adventure on its own. 

9. No/One

Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato wrote this superhero noir mystery; Geraldo Borges provided the cinematic, moody art. This addition to Kyle Higgins’ Massive-verse features a clandestine vigilante known as No/One, who releases evidence of crimes of high-powered people and his conflict with the killer Richard Roe, who takes it upon himself to murder those same individuals. It’s a dark, layered mystery set in Pittsburgh. The superhero crime drama has an accompanying podcast.

8. The Enfield Gang Massacre

The “That Texas Blood” team of Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips craft this spinoff of their other series, both of which are from Image Comics. In sun-baked late 1800s Ambrose County, Montgomery Enfield and his gang of outlaws are more scoundrels than true villains. But when a bank employee is found murdered after Enfield has robbed it, the gang is in the crosshairs of a retired Texas Ranger who has the town determined to get justice. This Western noir builds on the locations from “That Texas Blood” but is accessible independently as a character study and murder mystery.

7. Sacrificers 

The Sacrificers are young inhabitants of a sci-fi world where everything is at peace – at the cost of one child per family. The Sacrificers are on a long journey to their destiny, and not all of them agree on what that might be. Rick Remender and Max Fiumara craft this dense fantasy world with a dark secret. 

6. Transformers 

Daniel Warren Johnson is the writer-artist of “Transformers,” based on the Hasbro toys. The humans can’t really tell the difference between the good giant robots and the bad giant robots, leading to frustration and danger for the Autobots. This kinetic, slam-bang action title has rocketed to the top of comic store sales charts. 

5. Where the Body Was 

The latest original graphic novel from writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips looks at the seamy underside of an apparently typical cul-de-sac. Everyone has secrets, and most are telling lies, though some only to themselves. Who killed the private eye? And what was he there to find? The story unfolds as a tale of love gone wrong in the summer of 1984.

4. Wesley Dodds: Sandman

Wesley Dodds, aka the crimefighter Sandman, continues the investigation into who has stolen his journal. One potential perpetrator’s death appears to be a cover-up. 

Written by Robert Venditti with art by Riley Rossmo; Rossmo’s art is enveloping the reader in this slightly dreamlike 1940s world with wisps and shadows hiding true dangers. 

3. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest

Writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora (and others) create Batman-Superman team-up tales that capture the exuberance of the Silver Age with a modern finish. 

2. Superman

There’s a new status quo for Superman this year: Luthor is in jail, Lois runs the Daily Planet, and Superman finds himself with a Supercorp to run, thanks to the aforementioned Luthor. Superman finds himself needing to work with Luthor to take on new threats to Metropolis. Writer Joshua Williamson is crafting a new classic run for Superman, with terrific art from Jamal Campbell along with others, including Gleb Melnikov and Dan Jurgens. 

 1.Local Man 

A former big-shot 1990s-style superhero returns home to find himself no one’s favorite. A love letter to 1990s comics and a tale of potential gone wrong. Written by Tim Seeley; 1990s flip book art by Seeley; main art by Tony Fleecs.

The 1990s Image Comics boom gets a modern twist in a multilayered story.  “Local Man” delves into what it means to be superhuman and, in so doing, reveals truths about what it means to be human, as well. 

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewLprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.