We’re continuing our ten-year celebration of borg today with our favorite comic books. If you missed them, check out our Top 40 movies here and our Top 40 TV series here.
We reviewed thousands of books and comics that we recommended to our readers since June 2011, and some even made it onto our favorites shelf. We don’t publish reviews of comic books that we read and don’t recommend, so this shortlist reflects 21 comics and creators we view as the Best of the Best.
So let’s get going!
To commemorate its 80th anniversary as home to some of pop culture’s most iconic characters, Archie Comics is publishing a series of special digital-exclusive one-shot comics. Begin with Archie, Josie & the Pussycats, Veronica Lodge as Powerteen with Blackjack, plus Jughead, Cheryl Blossom, New Crusaders, Betty & Veronica, Katy Keene, and Young Salem–available now at comiXology, the Archie App, Hoopla, or wherever you get digital comics. Then coming next week is Sabrina and Sam Hill: Private Eye, and some artist spotlights, looking at creator Harry Lucey, then on May 20, it’s Dotty & Ditto with Bob Phantom, with a spotlight on Dan DeCarlo, and finally artist Dan Parent on May 27. Check out some looks back–inside a few of these issues–below, and a schedule of releases.
Review by C.J. Bunce
It’s not an overstatement to say Francesco Francavilla is the artist who brought Archie Comics back to life. At the very least he has turned a new generation of readers onto one of comicdom’s longest lasting titles. Along with Jon Goldwater and Alex Segura behind the scenes and writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and later artist Robert Hack in the pages of the monthly books, it was Francavilla’s haunting, brand new look at Riverdale and its teen characters that kick-started reader interest in new titles and take another look at the classic stories, the ones with the traditional Dan DeCarlo look that 70 years of readers were familiar with. Francavilla, the Eisner Award-winning cover artist, is the focus of a new hardcover book Archie Comics is premiering this Wednesday. Featuring all of his Archie Comics standard covers and variants, plus selected interior artwork and cover artwork for books outside the Archie universe, The Archie Art of Francesco Francavilla is a must for collectors of his books and neo-pulp styled art prints.
In part because of his use of fantastic colors for his imagery, his designs seem to pop on every page. You’ll find his several covers for Afterlife with Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vampironica, Jughead the Hunger, Archie Meets Batman, Archie vs Sharknado, Archie vs Predator, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, Riverdale, Life with Archie, Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, and Josie and the Pussycats. Other pages highlight Francavilla’s style on the covers of New Crusaders, The Black Hood, and The Hangman. The Archie Art of Francesco Francavilla also includes some cover and page roughs–preliminary sketches used for approval and story breaking, all shown along with the final versions. You’ll also find exclusive cover art from convention-only covers and other variants.
Woule we have a Riverdale television series if not for Francavilla’s darker look at Archie? Probably not. Here is a first look at some advance preview pages of The Archie Art of Francesco Francavilla for borg readers courtesy of Archie Comics:
If you love comics and especially if you haven’t read a comic book in years then this Saturday’s Free Comic Book Day is all about you. See what you have been missing out on at comic book stores across the United States as shops hand out free issues of new comic books from your favorite franchises and publishers Marvel, DC Comics, IDW, Archie Comics, Dark Horse, BOOM!, Titan Comics, and more.
Star Trek fans won’t want to miss out on the first ever view of the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew in the mirror universe story Mirror Broken! with incredible artwork by the incomparable J.K. Woodward. Doctor Who fans will find an all-new story assembling the last four Doctors and companion Bill’s first appearance in comics.
Dozens of new FCBD stories will be available. Check out the great covers above and below, plus previews of Avatar, Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Attack on Titan.
If you’re in the Kansas City area check out Elite Comics, and if not, use this comic book store locator to find your nearest participating shop. Below, check out more comic books you will find Saturday (get there early if you don’t want to miss anything!), plus some videos about the event.
Our borg Best of 2016 list continues today with the Best in Print and a bonus wrap-up of other year’s bests. If you missed it, check out our review of the Top Picks and Best Movies of 2016 here, the Kick-Ass Heroines of 2016 here, and the Best in Television here.
Without further ado, this year’s Best in Print:
Best Comic Book Series – Old Man Logan (Marvel). With just enough backstory from prior series focused on the future world version of Logan/Wolverine, writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino took us through the struggle of the superhero that survived all his contemporaries, only to be plunged into a parallel world where everything is familiar but nothing is the same.
Best Graphic Novel – Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, Jill Thompson (DC Comics). Writer/artist Jill Thompson is probably the best creator in comics today. Her origin story of Wonder Woman is vibrant, and she presents a flawed, complex, and ultimately strong and fearless heroine. The best Wonder Woman book we’ve ever read.
Best Comic Book Limited Series/Best Crossover Comic Book Series – Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (DC Comics/IDW). James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II pulled together an impossible team-up of characters that ended up working great together. An action-packed, nostalgic fun trip.
Best Comic Book Writing – Matt Kindt, Dept.H (Dark Horse). Kindt pulls together an incredibly nostalgic assemblage of the best action concepts: classic science fiction of the H.G. Wells variety, G.I. Joe Adventure Team-inspired characters, and a fun character study and whodunit that will have you searching out your old game of Sub Search. We just hope he makes a prequel at some point so we get to see a similar quest with an old fashioned copper-helmeted deep sea diver. A fun read month after month and the best writing comics have to offer.
After the cut we continue with the best in comics, books, and more from 2016:
Next week Riverdale’s most famous band is getting back together.
Archie Comics is releasing a new Josie and the Pussycats monthly series. Much like its release of its hit Betty & Veronica series this summer, Josie & Co. is getting a premiere with plenty of cover variants with works by J. Scott Campbell, Derek Charm, Colleen Coover, Veronica Fish, Francesco Francavilla, Jessica Garvey, Robert Hack with Steve Downer, Gisele Lagace with Shouri, Alitha Martinez with Kelly Fitzpatrick, Wally McNair, Sam Payne, and Marguerite Sauvage. The standard cover was drawn by Audrey Mok. Andre Szymanowicz is providing the colors. Archie Comics will also release a blank sketch cover version.
Marguerite Bennett and Cameron Deordio are scripting the series.
Josie, Valerie, and Melody make their current debut after Afterlife With Archie’s dark look at the band in the haunted parallel universe of that title’s October issue. Plus, the CW Network has its own new Archie series premiering in only a few weeks–Riverdale stars K.J. Apa as Archie, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Camila Mendes as Veronica, Lili Reinhart as Betty, Ross Butler as Reggie, Casey Cott as Kevin, and Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom. And of course, the band is in the series as well, with Josie played by Ashleigh Murray, Valerie is played by Hayleau Law, and Melody is played by Asha Brom. Luke Perry, Lochlyn Munro, and Madchen Amick will also star in the series.
While you’re waiting for the TV series, check out these covers to Josie and the Pussycats:
We first previewed dozens of gorgeous covers for Adam Hughes new monthly Betty & Veronica series here at borg.com in May. Check out our story if you want to see one of the best assemblages of cover art on a single subject in years. We’ve now read Issue #1, to be released tomorrow at comic book stores everywhere. It offers a Betty & Veronica as if it were interpreted by Joss Whedon–that’s right, a Buffy and the Scooby Gang look and feel that is a perfect modernization for the classic characters from Riverdale. If you haven’t been to a comic book store in a while, now is your best excuse to return for this stellar start to what is destined to be the next great series.
Adam Hughes doubles as writer and artist, and that complete involvement delivers from every angle and in every panel. Who would win in a battle between Archie and Jughead? Between… Betty and Veronica? You’ll find out soon enough.
Pop culture references aplenty? Check.
A Steve Gerber-inspired in-joke with a Frank Cho Liberty Meadows-style payoff? Check.
Funny antics between Archie and Reggie and Reggie’s dog Hotdog? Check.
A sexy and intelligent duo (and duel?) of young women–just like they’ve always been? Check.
A classic insert tale from Betty & Veronica of the past? Check.
A noble mission and a battle of frenemies like never seen before? Well, yeah, pretty much.
Hughes, known for his renderings of beautiful women, has created a visual you might find on a CW young adult TV series, and his leads could easily be played by, say, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair. Appropriately enough the CW is bringing the Archie crew to TV in 2017. (We can’t wait!)
You’re going to love this book. It’s. A. Winner. Now check out this great preview, courtesy of Archie Comics:
What if every comic book cover artist also created the artwork inside the cover? It’s a rare thing. Cover artists tend to get discovered and begin churning out great cover work for a good rate and find less time for interior work. Once in a while Alex Ross will take on a labor of love and work the interiors as with the Masks and earlier works like Kingdom Come and Justice. Same with Frank Cho, as he did with a surprise Savage Wolverine series a few years ago and Mike Mayhew with his The Star Wars series after his cover work became more and more popular.
Adam Hughes is well known for his cover work, especially his DC Comics women renderings. His Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan mini-series, a rare event featuring his own interiors, was probably the high point of the series. This summer fans of his artwork and classic Archie Comics characters are in for another rare treat.
Hughes will be scripting and illustrating interiors for a new Betty & Veronica series. Best friends and classic rivals Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge will be at each other again, this time over the fate of Riverdale’s hangout, Pop’s Chocklit Shoppe. Hughes has said he is attempting to make the characters timely and relevant. It shouldn’t be too hard, as the duo is certainly timeless as seen in the updates–and retro inspired designs–of the characters on the variety of covers. The standard cover will be by Hughes, featuring the two girls in his distinct style. Thirteen covers will be supplied by women comic book artists. And none of them chose the look of the gals from the classic series.
Review by C.J. Bunce
Nothing is more impressive than someone creating an original work that makes you interested in something you were not interested in before. Even better, when someone creates a new mash-up that brings together two concepts that just can’t go together–like Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Reggie and Sabrina–and zombies. Yet they make it work. A candidate for best single issue comic book this year is Issue #1 of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla’s new series Afterlife with Archie.
It’s so wrong, and yet so right. I reader Archie Comics as a kid, but I still haven’t been swept up by the zombie thing… until now. Heavily influenced by the monster comics of Bernie Wrightson, the art in Afterlife with Archie is as good as it gets. Eisner winner Francavilla’s style is entirely his own, and like his Black Beetle series discussed here at borg.com earlier this year, readers are transported to the vision of the past as seen in Golden Age comic books. Even the paper and printing on Issue #1 feels like you’re holding a 1940s comic book in your hands. Francavilla brings together the classic characters of the Archie universe and the creepiness of “how the end of the world begins”.
