A YEAR IN COMICS
What I enjoyed over the past 12-months
I had thought about doing some kind of end-of-year review in December, but it felt like everyone was doing that and I wanted to be different, ever the edgelord. Usually I would list my favourite films, TV shows and maybe some comics, but as I was sitting on the throne contemplating why I ever let myself get caught up in the BazBall furore, in the face of yet another chastening Ashes campaign down under, my mind wandered. Instead of ruminating on something I have no control over, I allowed my thoughts to drift to more pleasant things and started reflecting on the comics I read last year. That train of thought led me to want to write this article.
What can you expect here? Mostly indie comics. No Marvel or DC (well, maybe an honourable mention), simply because I don’t read them. This is a random selection of small press comics, some of which I have mentioned here before. I’m not a conscientious collector and I don’t have a pull list (I didn’t even know that was a thing until a few years ago). I mostly read digitally, and some of the comics on this list may have been released before 2025, but I only discovered, or got around to reading, them last year.
That’s enough build-up. Here’s the list, in no particular order. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these and whether you enjoyed them. Please do also recommend any comics you think I might enjoy, based on this list.
BABS (Ahoy)
Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Jaycen Burrows, Babs is a very funny Red Sonja parody that satirises modern culture through the lens of sword-and-sandals babe Babs. The name alone, being so mundane and non-fantastical, is itself a parody. It contains all the usual fantasy tropes: a chainmail swordmaiden, a magic talking sword, pious Paladins who may or may not be analogous to certain conservative groups in America, and, of course, incels.
I found this to be a fun, fast-paced read, with laugh-out-loud moments and splashes of ultra-violence that ooze Garth’s cynical sense of humour. Jaycen Burrows’ artwork is, as you would expect, brilliant, and perfectly complements Garth’s storytelling.
You can buy the trade of volume one here, with volume two, issue one out next week. It seems Babs is, thankfully, not going away for a while yet.
LIZZIE PARSEC (Hugh Newell)
It was thanks to the Awesome Comics pod crew that I discovered this, reading the first five issues on the GlobalComix app. Lizzie Parsec is essentially a “what if” comic, with the core idea being: what if Han Solo was a woman, and a massive dickhead to boot?
Written and illustrated by Hugh Newell, the artwork is simplistic but extremely easy on the eye, bursting with kinetic energy. I love it.
This strip honestly has everything I enjoy in a comic: adult language, a cute and sassy female protagonist, sci-fi, violence, and tonnes of dark humour. It’s a fast-paced sci-fi crime caper. I suppose you could call it a space rompera.
Essentially, Lizzie is a professional thief who is kicked out of her criminal gang for being too much of a pain in the arse. She then sets off on a quest for… well, I’m not really sure. She mostly just wants to steal stuff but, in doing so, she accidentally (on purpose) murders the richest man in the galaxy, unleashes a deadly alien organism, and becomes the most wanted person in the galaxy. It’s f***ing amazing!
Website: https://www.hughnewell.com/lizzie
AZIMUTH (2000ad)
Azimuth is an ongoing sci-fi adventure serialised in the pages of the weekly British anthology 2000 AD. It spun off from the long-running strip Sinister Dexter, but writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Warhammer 40,000) and artist Tazio Bettin have produced what I think is one of the best modern series to appear in 2000 AD. It’s weird, action-packed, and rammed full of Abnett’s wordplay.
The story follows Ramon Dexter into the virtual city of Azimuth, a data-driven metropolis where anything is possible. Ruled by an aristocracy of the New Flesh, concepts such as life, death, and body forms are fluid. Along the way, Ramon teams up with a “deepfake” cadavatar called Suzie Nine Millimetre, as well as a certain Psi-Judge from another dimension named Andi.
As strong as Abnett’s scripts are, the real star here is rising talent Tazio Bettin, whose work channels comic art greats such as Moebius and Arthur Ranson. Bettin has quickly become one of my favourite new artists.
I suppose this counts as cyberpunk, and it feels a little like a mash-up of Neuromancer and The Incal. You can pre-order the volume one trade from 2000 AD now.
webshop: https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/XB972/azimuth-volume-1
POP KILL! (Mad Cave)
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Dave Johnson, with art by Juan Santacruz, this tells the story of two competing fizzy drink corporations owned by twin brothers. It’s a very amusing, over-the-top action adventure that focuses on the protagonist John Pyle, a Bond-like corporate mercenary hired to take out the world’s leading cola scientist, Dina Delux, only to end up falling for her.
Here’s the official trailer:
It’s one hell of a romp, packed with sex, guns, and plenty of laughs. You can read it on GlobalComix or pick up the trade directly from Mad Cave—or from your local comic shop.
WULF AND BATSY
Written and illustrated by Bryan Baugh, I’ve definitely mentioned this one here before. It’s another small press comic that was put on my radar by the ACP. The story follows Batsy, a cute, sexy, and petite vampire, and her travelling companion Wulf—a werewolf. All they want is to find somewhere to settle down and live a peaceful life, to be left alone to eat human flesh and drink blood, but they keep getting into all manner of mischief.
Visually and thematically, it’s a clear homage to EC’s Tales from the Crypt comics and their ilk, with more than a hint of Warren-era Vampirella thrown into the mix. It’s a camp horror comedy that is simply too much fun not to read.
Check it out on Golbalcomix or go direct to Bryan’s website: https://bryanbaugh.net/wulf-and-batsy/
BATTLE BEAST (Image)
Written by Robert Kirkman, of The Walking Dead fame, and illustrated by Ryan Ottley, this is a spin-off from Invincible—which I have not read. I checked this out online when the first issue dropped and decided to stick with it. You don’t need to have read Invincible to pick this up and enjoy it immediately.
Battle Beast follows a Leonide warrior whose sole motivation in life is to find an opponent capable of giving him a glorious death in combat. He hasn’t found that opponent yet.
It’s interesting to have such a villainous psychopath as the main protagonist, but he does have a code of honour, refusing to kill “insects”—anyone he deems too weak to be his equal. Over the first few issues, he develops a subtle character arc as he begins to form a friendship with the partially digested (don’t ask) Prince Salaka, heir to the Fantanian Empire.
Ottley’s artwork is glorious. He clearly revels in the action and the gore. Kirkman’s scripts are, characteristically, a little verbose at times, but unlike The Walking Dead, Battle Beast is laced with humour and allows Ottley’s art to breathe.
PRAIRIE GODS (Mad Cave)
Written and illustrated by Shane Connery Volk, Prairie Gods is an episodic anthology series that might best be described as Twin Peaks meets Sin City. Each episode is set in the same dusty Midwestern town and features recurring characters who show up in each other’s stories. As each self-contained tale unfolds, the world gradually opens up and we see that all is not as it seems.
Well written, atmospheric, and extremely well drawn, this is a series that enthrals you and keeps you coming back for more.
The volume #1 trade is out now, ask at your local comic shop or check out the digital on globalcomix.com.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Those are the main comics that stuck in my mind. There have been more and I’m sure that, as soon as I press ‘publish’ on this, I’ll think of at least two others. Still, here are some honourable mentions. These are comics that I did read, or have been catching up on, but which weren’t necessarily published over the past year.
Hellblazer (DC Vertigo)
I have been doing a casual read-through of Hellblazer, the long-running series about British occult investigator John Constantine. Dark, moody, highly political, and dripping with very British cynicism, it has been written by a host of legendary creators over the years and illustrated by art stars such as John Ridgway, Steve Dillon, and Sean Phillips. I’m sure I don’t need to say much more about this iconic series.
Something Is Killing the Children (Image)
Created by writer James Tynion IV and artist Werther Dell’Edera, this is a typically Tynion horror-adjacent tale, with clear queer-coded themes in the subtext. It follows a secret society of monster killers, where the monsters can only be seen by children. The story centres on Erica Slaughter, a monster hunter, loner, and emotionally damaged outsider.
Judge Dredd (2000ad)
I couldn’t talk about great comics without mentioning ol’ stony face. Because the strip is permanently ongoing, it’s very difficult to single out just one arc from the past year. However, with writers such as co-creator John Wagner and current mainstays Rob Williams, Kenneth Niemand, and Michael Carroll, the character remains in very good hands.
Signing off
That’s my list, what did you think? Let me know down below, and don’t forget to check out the SN-media merch store on Redbubble.
Troy