The 15 absolute best comic books of the year

2024 has been an intense year for the world of comic books. The X-Men saved the universe, Amanda Waller took over the world for a little while, and the Energon Universe continued to be a must-read storyline. Then there are the plethora of comic books like Space Ghost by David Pepose, Thundercats by Declan Shalvey, and The Displaced by Ed Brisson that are vastly underrated.

The high standard of comics this year made it difficult to rank the best comic books of the year. Instead, these are the Top 15 comic books of 2024 in no particular order.

Ultimate Spider-Man

• Writer: Tom King
• Artists: Marco Checchetto, David Messina

There’s a lot to praise about Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man, but the relationship that Peter Parker has with his family sticks out more than anything because it helps shape him as a hero.

Peter Parker isn’t just Spider-Man. He’s a husband and a father. That means every move he makes affects everyone around him. The same could be said on Earth-616, but not to this scale; that version of Peter didn’t have two children, a wife, and his Uncle Ben to worry about. That’s on top of Peter becoming Spider-Man in his 30s. His new powers at an older age lead to different responsibilities. First among them is the people he loves. It'll be interesting to see if tragedy strikes them in 2025.

Transformers

• Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
• Artists: Mike Spicer, Jorge Corona, Daniel Warren Johnson

The Transformers series continues to be everything that fans want from the franchise. You’re getting the classic characters with more personality than anything we’ve seen from any of the animated features, movies, or previous comic books.

As great as that is, the best part is there are actual stakes to everything. People die and don’t return and the things that happen directly affect the Autobots and Decepticons. It hits readers hard.

Uncanny X-Men

• Writer: Gail Simone
• Artist: David Marquez

Every single issue of Gail Simone's Uncanny X-Men is better than the previous one. Considering it started flawlessly, that says a lot. We’re witnessing the rebirth of what it means to be an X-Man from the oppression of being a mutant to the fights that show their skills.

Plus, Gail Simone introduced five new characters (The Outliers) to the team and they have already been given deep backstories that made readers care about them.

Birds of Prey

• Writer: Kelly Thompson
• Artists: Gavin Guidry, Robbi Rodriguez, Leonardo Bastos Romero, Jordie Bellaire

Kelly Thompson’s Birds of Prey is the embodiment of comics. The story is fun, with a lot of deep, meaningful moments and character development. The heroes on this team (like Harley and Big Barda) who can be fun aren’t taken as a joke. We’re learning that and more by developing them as a team. And the art is superb.

It doesn't matter what kind of comic book you're into, Birds of Prey should be on your list of monthly reads.

Void Rivals

• Writer: Robert Kirkman
• Artist: Lorenzo De Felici

Void Rivals is among the most powerful comic books you’ll read all year. Robert Kirkman doesn’t skimp on the action and adventure, but that isn’t the focus. It’s about two people from opposite walks of life learning about each other, working together, and developing an intense friendship. As they continue their journey, they find a secret that could unite their people and possibly destroy their planets.

All of the comic books in Skybound/Image Comics’ Energon Universe are worth buying. However, Void Rivals is the crown jewel. This writer can't wait until this comic book connects to everything happening on Earth. It's easily one of the three best comic books of the decade.

Nightwing

• Writer: Tom Taylor
• Artist: Bruno Redondo

Tom Taylor’s journey to make Nightwing an elite comic book character was completed. He started by making him more than a hero and kept that idea alive until the end. He had him face his fears, his past, and who he was as a person and hero.

And, unlike some comic book stories, it concluded with a happy ending. You couldn’t ask for more from a comic book writer and artist.

Fantastic Four

• Writer: Ryan North
• Artists: Carlos Gomez and Ivan Fiorelli

Ryan North put the family back in the Fantastic Four and not with the team’s core members. Valeria and Franklin Richards, Alicia Masters, and her (and Ben Grimm’s) adopted kids (Skrull N'kalla and the Kree Jo-Venn) are major parts of the stories as well. That’s all within their exciting adventures into space, the Negative Zone, and beyond.

Another great thing is seeing the teams switch issues. During Blood Hunt, it was the unlikely duo of Alicia and Reed protecting the citizens of New York. There was also a fun single issue where Johnny Storm talked Reed into random shenanigans that ended with a skull that vomited blood. There's also Fantastic Four No. 25 the saddest comic book of the year. So you get silliness, sadness, and some love. What more could you want from a comic book?

Wolverine: Sabretooth War

• Writer: Victor Lavalle, Benjamin Percy
• Artist: Cory Smith

Wolverine killing Sabretooth is the story everyone talked about, but the reveal of why Sabretooth made Logan’s life a waking nightmare is more shocking than his death. Creed did it because he missed his friend. It makes sense that he’d do this because he lost someone he loved as a friend. Nevertheless, he went about it the wrong way.

Maybe having a conversation could have saved his life. However, talking things out isn’t Sabretooth’s strong suit.

The Deviant

• Writer: James Tynion IV
• Artists: Joshua Hixson

The Deviant isn’t a comic book for everyone. It involves a lot of topics that can be triggering and disturbing. Thankfully, writer James Tynion IV knows how to get a point across tactfully, without the comic book coming off too disturbing.

It’s dark and sometimes disturbing without it becoming more parody than art. It’s like reading a comic made by A24.

Something is Killing the Children

• Writer: James Tynion IV
• Artist: Werther Dell’Edera

This year, James Tynion IV’s Something is Killing the Children was all about Erica Slaughter’s past. Seeing the moments that molded her into a cynic and now a rebel was a nice break from the present story.

Furthermore, this allowed new readers time to catch up and others to see how a character they followed developed and anticipate what’s next for her and her future. It isn't the first time this happened in the series it probably won't be the last.

Grim

• Writer: Stephanie Phillips
• Artist: Flaviano Armentaro
  

I don’t know if I should start with Stephanie Phillips' brilliant writing or Flaviano Armentaro’s art. Both of them make this a series that’s visually stunning and emotionally gripping. Creating new and interesting characters like Jessica Harrow, Marcel, and Eddie isn’t easy. Then, to make the personification of things like Death and Life interesting, new, and cool is even better.

Boom! Studios' Grim is a comic book that will hopefully be adapted into a TV series at some point. That’s how good this is. Here's hoping that, when that happens, it will be animated.

Fall of X

• Writers: Gerry Duggan and Kieron Gillen
• Artist: Pepe Larraz and R. B. Silva

This is one of the first times the X-Men were outnumbered and overpowered. It's been one or the other, but rarely both. They weren’t just fighting Orchis and Nimrod. Unbeknownst to them, there were enemies within their ranks and another in the timeline too. The fact that they won this fight is amazing. Then again, it’s the X-Men. Beating the odds is what they do better than anyone.

Nevertheless, how they did it and what and who was sacrificed made the event worth it. It’s something you don't see coming.

Absolute Power

• Writer: Mark Waid
• Artist: Dan Mora

No one was ready for everything that happened in the DC Comics crossover event, Absolute Power. It was four issues of hard-hitting fights, deaths, and the rise of Nightwing as a leader. But more than the heroes overcoming was Amanda Waller overachieving.

Waller did more to the superpowered community without superpowers or a nearly unlimited bank account in recent memory and she was a chin hair away from winning. She showed that sometimes cunning, lying, and being persuasive are the only powers you need. Whatever the next event is will have big shoes to fill because Absolute Power may be the new bar for comic book crossovers.

Wonder Woman

• Writer: Tom King
• Artists: Daniel Sampere

Tom King's Wonder Woman was been a heck of a journey. The story of Diana being physically and mentally tortured to save her rival/friend Cheetah and the fights before that were enough to make this a candidate for comic book of the year. But the Absolute Power tie-in and Daniel Sampere's art throughout solidified it.

Another wonderful part of this story is how Diana’s family is involved. It’s great seeing Donna Troy, Yara Flor, and Cassie Sandsmark saving Wonder Woman and helping her get revenge. The other member of the Wonder Family that can't be dismissed is Diana's daughter, Trinity, who gets short stories at the end of each issue.

Ultimates 

• Writer: Deniz Camp
• Artists: Juan Frigeri, Chris Allen, Phil Noto,

A lot was riding on Ultimates being good. Ultimate Spider-Man may be the best Ultimate Marvel Comic, but this is supposed to be the flagship. The one with the premiere superteam. And while the Ultimates have been less than stellar, watching them come together and grow has been inspiring.

Readers are seeing what it takes for people to be thrown into extreme situations that they have no experience in. Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne were exterminators and Tony Stark was a boy genius. None of them know how to fight superpowered people and it shows. Meanwhile, you have Captain America and Thor who haven’t been in combat in a while, and a traumatized Reed Richards. Because of the inexperience and the rush to get better, you’re left with uncertainty in each issue. It’s amazing.

What do you think are the best comic books of the year? Are any of them not on this list? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.