Meredith's Top Five Single Issue Comics of 2015

I think it’s fair to say that 2015 was a pretty good year for comics. Marvel rebooted a lot of their titles, DC cut away a lot of dead wood (although by no means all), and smaller imprints like Image and Dark Horse kept up a steady supply of interesting things. Those among you who are interested in this stuff are fortunate that the library has some real obsessives looking after these matters for you. We thought it might be interesting to knock together lists of the best things that we saw last year. As it happens (and with only one exception I can think of) you can read this all here at the library.

So enjoy part one of three of our favorites from last year. This week: Meredith's favorites.

Jem and the Holograms #1 (Kelly Thompson & Sophie Campbell) – This year saw the relaunch of the 80s cartoon series as both a movie and a comic series. The movie was abysmal, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking out this comic. Thompson and Campbell have managed to bring Jem into the modern era while keeping the spirit of Christy Marx’s original cartoon. It’s consistently one of the best written and drawn series I read. Find this issue in Jem and the Holograms Volume 1: Showtime.

Rat Queens #10

Rat Queens #10 (Kurtis J. Wiebe & Stjepan Sejic) – The quality of Rat Queens has diminished so thoroughly in recent months, I’m not even sure why I still read this book. It’s unfortunate as this used to be my favorite comic. Issue 10 wraps up the second story arc in spectacular fashion with the Rat Queens taking on the mystical N’Rygoth in an attempt to protect their city from complete destruction.
Find this issue in Rat Queens Volume 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’Rygoth.

Batgirl Annual #3 (Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher) – I don’t usually care for comic “annual” issues. They’re more expensive and the stories often make little sense in the context of the comic. What makes Batgirl Annual #3 great in my opinion are the characters that are included. Over the course of this comic Barbara crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend Dick Grayson, Batwoman, Maps & Olive at Gotham Academy, and most importantly – Stephanie Brown. Spoiler makes her first appearance in Batgirl with a giddy enthusiasm that warms my black soul.
Find this issue in Batgirl Volume 2: Family Business.

Batgirl Annual #3

Agent Carter: S.H.I.E.L.D.
50th Anniversary #1

Agent Carter: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary #1 (Kathryn Immonen & Rich Ellis) – Immonen is one of my all-time favorite comic authors writing one of my all-time favorite characters. Even better, Immonen draws on her history of writing Journey into Mystery and chooses to include the Asgardian warrior, Lady Sif. It’s a team up of my dreams
Find this issue in S.H.I.E.L.D.: 50th Anniversary

We Are Robin #4

We Are Robin #4 (Lee Bermejo & James Harvey) – This is a new series about a group of teenage vigilantes who all take on the identity of Robin. I picked issue four because of how absolutely stylish it is. Batgirl crosses over this issue to mentor teen hero, Riko. What makes this a stand out issue is how Harvey eschews typical comic panel layouts and instead creates this incredible pop art collage look that often bleeds out to the end of the page.
Find this issue in We Are Robin Vol 1: Vigilante Business

What do you think? Keep an eye out next week for John's favorites!