Bam Smack Pow's Comic Book Awards: The best of Marvel, DC and more in 2024

2023 saw the very first edition of the Bam Smack Pow Comic Book Awards, where we celebrated some of the very best comic books. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest won best ongoing series, Saga won the Most Promising Comic Book, and Comic Book Couple of the Year was Deadpool and Valentine Vuong. For one reason or another, none of them won this time around. 

2024 was an incredible year for comic book fans. No matter what you’re into, there’s something for you to read. And you don’t have to stay within Marvel and DC Comics either. Plenty of independent comic book companies cater to various people so everyone can find something they love. That's why the list of awards here isn't just Marvel and DC.

With that said, let's get to the best of the year in various categories and a wide range of comic book companies.

Comic Book of the Year: Nightwing by Tom Taylor

Throughout the year, no matter what came out or went down in the world of comic books, Nightwing was almost always the best of the week. In the rare occasions that it wasn't, it was still in the Top 2.

Tom Taylor’s writing, combined with Bruno Redondo’s art, made this the must-read series of the year. There was drama, fighting, love, and a perfect happy ending. What more could you ask for, honestly?

Comic Book Character of the Year: Amanda Waller

You can hate Amanda Waller all you want, but you’re talking about her. What she accomplished in DC's Absolute Power crossover simply added to her fearful reputation. She dominated every hero on Earth and made deals with devils and alien overlords.

If you think losing should disqualify her from being the best, that’s part of why she’s here. She made you emotional. Everyone wanted her to lose and it made her defeat more satisfying. Plus, we’re all waiting for her inevitable rise.

Most Entertaining Comic Book of the Year: Scarlett

Reading Scarlett was the most fun I had with a comic book all year. Seeing Scarlett navigate her way as a spy never got old. Writer Kelly Thompson knew how to make our hero beat the odds in a way that kept readers in suspense. She never looked too weak or too strong, but always creative.

Then artist Marco Ferrari put Thompson's vision out for the world to see. It was simply brilliant.

Surprise of the Year: Raphael vs Michelangelo

Comic book: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles No. 2 by Jason Aaron

Raphael and Michelangelo being annoyed by each other in any Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles story isn’t new. Mikey actively trying to hurt his brother, however, is shocking. There was some underlying stuff going on thanks to some poison, but his feelings were real and probably justified.

The Villain of the Year: Mr. Sinister / Dominion

The best antagonists are the ones you don’t know exist. Since before House / Powers of X, the original Mr. Sinister ruled things from the timeline. As Dominion, he was so untouchable even Nimrod and Dr. Doom couldn’t beat him.

It took the Phoenix Force (thanks to Hope Summers’ sacrifice) to take him down. Even then, he’s not dead, just too bust fighting and running for his life.

Hero of the Year: Nightwing

Nightwing is the reason that all of the heroes weren’t imprisoned thanks to Amanda Waller in DC's Absolute Power crossover. After stopping them from arguing, he put a plan together and motivated a group that was lost and without hope. That’s on top of keeping Bludhaven safe and continuing to make it a better place with the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation.

Other heroes may have gone on intergalactic missions and impressed readers in different ways, but none of them were heroes in and outside of their costumes like Nightwing.

Superhero Team of the Year: The X-Men

The X-Men are always going through something and saving the world. During Fall of X, they didn’t just save Earth. If Nimrod and Dominion won, the entire universe would have been compromised, so saving Earth would be an understatement.

Even though they will never be appreciated or thanked for their deeds, Marvel’s Mightiest Mutants completed their thankless job despite being hated, feared, and framed for killing diplomats.

Best Secondary Character: Big Barda in Birds of Prey

Big Barda is the strongest character on the Birds of Prey and it’s not close. She’s a god among mortals. That left writer Kelly Thompson with the challenge of making her vulnerable and she did that with ease.

Kelly Thompson paired her with Cassandra Cain and treated their relationship like sisters. It was cute and vicious. And, when Cassie was in trouble, you saw how overprotective Barda is with “Small Bat”. Add her naïve personality and willingness to fight at the drop of a hat and you have a complete character.

Supervillain Team of the Year: Orchis

Amanda Waller was looking to take over the world, but at least she was attempting to save innocents. Orchis was an intolerant group fanning the flames of hate and willing to hire criminals like M.O.D.O.K. and Sinister to torture mutants.

What makes it worse is that they were blind to Nimrod’s plan to take over the universe and extinguish organic life. They were oblivious to what was in front of them.

Emotional Comic Book of the Year: Ultimates No. 4

Some characters are irredeemable and The Maker just went to the top of that list. He didn’t just sabotage the flight that made the Fantastic Four. The results of it caused Sue, Ben, and Johnny to die horrific deaths. And when that wasn’t enough, he tortured Reed and made him the new Dr. Doom.

As straightforward as this may sound for a villain like The Maker, seeing it in action hits hard.

Comic Book Couple of the Year: Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon

This was the couple everyone was rooting for. It’s been a lot of “will they won’t they” for some time now and writer Tom Taylor said “They will.” But Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon's relationship wasn’t just romance. They worked well together as Nightwing and Oracle, too, proving that they can be partners in every sense of the word.

They even co-parented a dog together. Yep, they are truly couple goals!

Comic Book Fight of the Year: Wonder Woman vs the villains

Comic book source: Wonder Woman No. 6

The Sovereign needed Wonder Woman defeated so he had Sarge Steel recruit a team to take her down. It’s been done before, but the Sovereign wanted people who covered all bases (magic, physical strength, emotional attachment, etc). In the end, it didn’t matter. Wonder Woman beat them all.

Initially, this category was going to go to Sabretooth vs Wolverine in Sabretooth War, but the art is what put this one over the two rivals. Daniel Sampere's art and Tomeu Morey's colors made this even better. They combined their talents to not only make this a brutal fight but a gorgeous one too.

Underrated Comic Book of the Year: Space Ghost

This writer wasn’t a big Space Ghost fan until David Pepose started writing him. This particular Space Ghost series has been blasters and fights on strange planets. However, mixed in with the action in the series are a lot of emotional moments. Not only do you fall in love with the action, but you become attached to the characters and their stories.

This is how you ensure that the readers remain invested in legendary characters while also taking them into the modern era.

Biggest Mistake in a Comic Book: Amanda Waller underestimating DC's heroes

After so many defeats and close calls, you’d assume that Amanda Waller would know better than to misjudge the courage and willpower of the DC heroes even when they're down and out. Instead, she did what every supervillain does. Waller ranted and complained when she thought the battle was won. It’s the downfall of every great antagonist and she was supposed to be different.

It won't be the last time we see Amanda Waller but it was quite the downfall for her current stint as DC's big threat.

Comic book Rivalry of the Year: Autobots vs Decepticons

The long-standing rivalry between Autobots and Decepticons is well known, but Image Comics took it up a notch. The action is more violent than ever with warriors on both sides dying, being traumatized, and even becoming pacifists.

On top of that, the action has been second to none with a lot of wrestling moves incporporated too, like powerbombs and chokeslams. I even think there was a Tombstone Piledriver in there, too.

Biggest Reveal in a Comic Book: Starscream the pacifist

Comic book: Transformers Nos. 13 and 14

Starscream not always being violent was something this writer never saw coming, but he’s glad it happened. Writer Daniel Warren Johnson turned Starscream from an annoying character to a, well, he's still annoying... but now he's more complex, too.

This was a great move from Joshua Williamson. It will make the battle between Starscreams Decepticons and Soundwaves even better. Who knows? Maybe readers will start rooting for Starscream. Or maybe this writer will be the only one.

Best New Comic Book: Red Before Black

Writer Stephanie Phillips and artist Goran Sudžuka are creating two characters that you’re going to root for more than most. Val and Leo are like Thelma and Louise, but with guns, a stolen alligator named Winston, psychedelic visions (that may or may not be real), and a lot of cursing.

It’s only three issues in and Red Before Black is already competing to be one of the best comic books out there today.

Comic Book Company of the Year: Skybound/Image Comics

Image Comics has been a nice alternative to Marvel and DC for decades, but 2024 was the year they took the title of best comic book company. Of course, there's the Invincible TV series that people love, but the comic books are where it's at.

The Energon Universe has the most compelling stories of 2024 and they're just getting started. Saga remains a flawless comic book that makes you smile one second and cry the next. The Universal Monsters mini-series stories have glorious writing with artwork to match. Then there are the classic characters like Spawn who people still enjoy, the aforementioned title The Power Fantasy, and there's still more to come.

Don’t be shocked when this wins Comic Book Company of the Year in 2025, too.

Best Single Issue: Fantastic Four No. 25

I’ve spoken about Ryan North’s greatness with Fantastic Four since it started, but issue No. 25 was something else. North wrote an emotional story that made fans happy, then ripped their hearts out.

First, Johnny Storm falls in love like we’ve never seen. He meets a non-humanoid alien named Angelica and the two share things about each other’s culture that bonds them. As they fall in love, Johnny is told he has to leave her forever. If that’s not bad enough, he gets so emotional that he lashes out at Ben so badly that Ben punches him. They’ve fought before, but this wasn't their normal playful tiffs.

As Johnny and his Angelica part ways, they hug. In a callback to the date that bonded them, Angelica says, “You gave me the moon, and I give you the stars.” When the Fantastic Four arrives on Earth, Johnny is left hugging air.

Independent Comic Book of the Year: The Power Fantasy

There are a handful of people with the power to take over the world. One of them can control the minds of people from anywhere on Earth, another is an angel with an unknown amount of abilities, and there’s someone so powerful that they accidentally destroyed Europe. That’s only three of them and there are more to come. Yep, The Power Fantasy is one to check out.

The destructive powers are fun, but the depth in Kieron Gillen’s writing will keep you intrigued while Caspar Wijngaard’s beautiful art makes love to your eyes. When this series ends, it will become one of the greatest comic books of all time. You heard it here first.

What were the best moments, heroes, and villains of 2024 in comics? Did your picks make this list? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.