That time of the year again: The top ten comic books of 2018!

Image by Image Comics

9. Saga No. 49-54

One of the best comic books of the decade had one of the most controversial endings in 2018. As always, series creators Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples are at the top of their game, and beholden to no editor or corporate agenda. They continue to tell the story of Hazel, a mixed species child from parents from two warring worlds, alongside their weird family and friends, however they see fit.

This year saw the stalking of the family by Ianthe, a crazed diplomat turned thrill killer. Unfortunately, her zeal for revenge led her to The Will, an ex-mercenary turned hopeless loser. Her torment of him awakened his killer instinct, and he was unleashed on them all. The series’ male lead, Marko, sacrificed his life to save everyone, and an arc which already saw two major cast members bite it then got far more tragic.

Yet, even more controversial was the creative team’s decision to place the book on hiatus until summer 2019…at best.  A year-long break could doom what had been Image Comics’ second best seller, or it could build anticipation for issue 55 even higher than ever. For Vaughan, whose works always have clear endings, this will mark the longest series he’s ever written (unless Saga ends by issue 60). It will remain to be seen when Saga returns, and if it does, if it can endure losing more of its cast than a season of Game of Thrones. Regardless, through art and storytelling alone, it has few peers.