The 25 Best Comic Books Of 2012 (So Far)

In the comic book world, the first half of 2012 will most likely be remembered for some controversial decisions made by the two pillars of the industry. First, DC got everyone’s blood boiling with the announcement of Before Watchmen, seven interconnected prequel miniseries based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic work.

Then, just recently, Marvel announced that it was going to try to trump DC’s New 52 initiative from last year by launching Marvel NOW! That may sound like the name of a terrible Broadway play, which is probably going to happen one day, but in reality it’s a complete relaunch of the company’s comic brand, scheduled for October.

But don’t worry, this year has actually featured some great comics that didn't depend on controversy or shock value to get our attention. Everything from revived pulp icons to zombies and sci-fi love stories have lined store shelves for a year with just as many indie gems as mainstream ones. To guide you through the books you should pick up as soon as possible, we’re counting down The 25 Best Comic Books Of 2012 (So Far).

Written by Jason Serafino (@serafinoj1)

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Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham

We don’t care that there has only been two issues of it so far; Batman Incorporated deserves to be on this list. Why? Because in the span of just two issues, Grant Morrison has already crammed in more originality, humor, and just plain wackiness than most comics do in a whole year.

Starting off with a chase scene through a slaughterhouse, the first issue of Batman Incorporated served to remind us why Morrison was born to write this character. The dialogue is sharp, the villains are crazed, and the world is a surreal mixture of crime-ridden and campy. There are elements here to appeal to fans of the grim and gritty Batman, but there are also effective lighter moments, like the debut of Bat-Cow and the ninja Man-Bats from Morrison’s earlier work.

The second issue basically re-tells of the life of Talia al Ghul and how she created the organization known as Leviathan, and, as a result, she reemerges as one of the most complex characters in Batman lore. Talia is conflicted and angry, and her rage eventually boils over under the watchful pen of Morrison. These two issues signify very good things to come for a title that could easily be the best at the company by the end of the year.

A lot of that success has to be attributed to artist Chris Burnham, who breaks all of the boundaries of panel layout with his illustrations. Together, this team seems to be en route to creating a Batman book that is wholly different from the rest. Batman Incorporated isn't the definitive Batman title on shelves at this time, but it’s impossible to ignore.

Writer: Jonathan Ross
Artist: Bryan Hitch

In the near future, the world has basically bent over for corporate sponsors. Nearly everything is backed by some faceless conglomerate, even the superheroes. And on the highly-successful reality show America’s Got Powers, super-powered teens battle it out for the amusement of a bloodthirsty nation. Forget about keeping the streets safe; the only job these heroes need to think about is keeping the wallets of their bosses nice and fat.

Writer Jonathan Ross is bringing scathing social commentary back to the comic book business as this title absolutely eviscerates the world in which we live. He perfectly captures the sleazy TV and advertising executives that rule our media, and we're loving every page of it. When one of these teens dies on national TV, it’s treated as good publicity for an audience that enjoys their violence almost as much as they love the soda and hot dogs they’re shoving down their throats.

But then there's the story of young Tommy Watts, a super-powered teen who truly appreciates his gifts. He doesn’t care about the fame or fortune that come with it at first, but there's no telling how long that naivety will last in this corporate paradise.

America's Got Powers isn’t just well written; it’s also filled with some terrific, cinematic art by Bryan Hitch. Free from the stressful schedules over at Marvel, Hitch seems to have found a groove in the indie scene, and he’s currently pumping out some of his best work in years.

Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Becky Cloonan and James Harren

Combining some indie sensibilities with the sword-and-shield flavor of the world created by Robert E. Howard, Brian Wood’s take on Conan the Barbarian has been surprisingly solid. Shedding the notion that the titular character be nothing more than a brooding, hulking warrior, Wood adds some much needed youth and humanity to Conan and his stories.

Trading in his usual gruff personality for a more approachable veneer, this book is for people that never would have dreamed of reading a Conan title beforehand. Adapting the classic "Queen of the Black Coast" story, Wood has managed to modernize Conan without losing the blood-splattered action that made him a household name.

Adding to this revitalized tone is the art by Becky Cloonan (Conan #1-3) and James Harren (#4-present). Gone are the abnormally large muscles and tasteless women; instead, we’re treated to a leaner Conan who travels the seas into beautifully detailed lands. With a mixture of great characters, sharp dialogue, and a wonderfully illustrated world, this new take on Conan the Barbarian establishes its own voice while also honoring decades of the character’s mythology.

Writer: David Liss
Artist: Colton Worley

We’re just a few issues into the series at this point, but The Spider has already shown so much promise that we would be remiss not to feature it here. Writer David Liss has done the impossible by bringing The Spider—a forgotten character from the pulp days—back into the modern world in a way that's both completely fresh yet still manages to pay tribute to the stories from the past.

Armed with nothing more than a few basic weapons and a serious hatred for the criminal ilk, Richard Wentworth prowls the streets at night looking for vengeance under the foreboding guise of The Spider. That may sound like a typical vigilante comic—and, in some ways, it is—but without years of heavy continuity and back-story attached to the character, Liss is able to create a great crime story without getting bogged down in comic company politics.

The Spider has the tone and flavor of an old-school pulp tale, and the moody art by Colton Worley goes a long way towards bringing this world to life. If you like your heroes with a bit of an edge, it doesn’t get much better than this book.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Butch Guice, Michael Lark, and Bettie Breitweiser

Marvel has spent most of 2012 focusing squarely on the Avengers movie and the Avengers vs. X-Men crossover event. However, a few books have managed to find their own identity during this hectic year at the House of Ideas, and one of them is Ed Brubaker’s new Winter Soldier series.

Focusing on the espionage lifestyle of Captain America’s former sidekick, Brubaker's title is a spy/thriller with all of the style and panache of a big-screen epic. With dense plots, great character interaction, and eye-popping action, Winter Soldier completely surprised us when it launched earlier in the year.

The first storyline put Bucky toe-to-toe against the Red Ghost, Dr. Doom, and some skeletons in his closet from his days as a Soviet assassin. Brubaker doesn’t pull many punches here as Winter Soldier is an intense read every month. But for as good as the writing is, the art is even better. Butch Guice brings a bit of an old-school look to this book that is reminiscent of Jim Steranko’s work on Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. from the ‘60s. This is the perfect book for the James Bond fan in all of us.

Writers: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Phile Winslade, Moritat, Patrick Scherberger, and José Luis García-López

One of the facts that gets lost since the superhero universe was resurrected in the early ‘60s is just how important the western genre was to the comic book industry at one point. Those stories kept the industry afloat during a time when no company in their right mind would try their hand at superheroes again. But over the years, the western has lost its way, becoming irrelevant to modern audiences. That is, until DC launched All Star Western as part of its “New 52.”

Starring Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkhman in the Old West version of Gotham City, this title simultaneously pays tribute to a long gone style and manages to tie into the current DC Universe as well. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti add an authentic western flair to every issue as their version of Hex is the type of rough-and-tumble outlaw that makes this genre great. Throughout the first half of this year, Hex and Arkham have dealt with corrupt politicians, dangerous dames, and a brief tie-in with Scott Snyder’s “Night of the Owls” storyline, but it’s the duo's hilariously mismatched relationship that makes each issue so enjoyable.

Between that, the always-stellar art, and the terrific back-up tales in every issue, All Star Western has become one of DC’s best titles. Unfortunately, it still seems to be flying under the radar at the moment.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Ivan Reiss and Joe Prado

After accomplishing the seemingly impossible task of making Aquaman a certified badass, Geoff Johns fully earns our endorsement if he were to run for President in 2012. If he can resurrect the career of a dude whose only real super power is communicating with fish, then we’re sure he can do wonders for our country.

By giving the character a gruffer personality and an endearing supporting cast, Johns has proven that the key to revitalizing a failed title is to go back to the basics. This means providing solid stories centered on characters that readers can relate to. This approach gives the title a clean consistency that doesn’t get bogged down in unapproachable mythology and back-story.

Helping bring Johns’ script to life is the art by Ivan Reiss and Joe Prado. Their work here brings a wide-screen, cinematic flavor to Aquaman’s world and gives the character a fierce look that he never had before. Currently, we’re still in the middle of “The Others” story that features Johns’ reintroduction to the villainous Black Manta.

We’re confident that Johns, Reiss, and Prado can continue pulling off the impossible by bringing us more must-read Aquaman stories every month. That sentence shocks us, too.

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Chris Samnee, Sara Pichelli, and David Marquez

It might seem strange that the one Spider-Man book on our list doesn’t even star Peter Parker as the Web Slinger, but that’s just a testament to how incredible Brian Michael Bendis’ re-imagining of the character has been so far. Starring Mile Morales (a half Latino, half African American teen), this Spider-Man book doesn’t focus on brawls with villains or rehashed plots. Bendis is more concerned with crafting one of the only superhero comics on shelves that's a true character-focused drama.

Over the past few issues, we have gotten to know Miles from the inside out as he quickly gets acquainted with his newfound powers, battles the Scorpion, and finds out the dangerous secret of his uncle, who happens to be a rebooted version of the Prowler.

The only thing holding Ultimate Comics Spider-Man back from climbing even higher on this list is the fact that Bendis hasn’t found a long-running artist for it. When the original Ultimate Spider-Man launched in 2000, Bendis teamed with artist Mark Bagley for over 100 issues, and their work together soon became legendary. That’s the type of writer/artist relationship this book needs to truly be one of the best.

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artists: Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudino, Marco Checchetto, and Mirko Colak

For years, the prospect of the Punisher operating in the same universe as the Avengers made the stomach of almost every fan of the character twist in disgust. But somehow Greg Rucka has managed to make Frank Castle a viable part of the collected Marvel Universe again without losing his edge.

In the newly-relaunched Punisher, Rucka centers on the police force of New York (Detectives Clemons and Bolt in particular) just as much as he does on Frank Castle. The Punisher here is much quieter than he has been in the past, but Rucka has created such a strong supporting cast around him that his words aren’t necessary. These stories are driven by his actions, and there is certainly a lot of that to be found here.

The various artists involved have all done a great job, but Marco Checchetto is the main draw. His art is so detailed and dripping with scum and dirt that it seems tailor-made for this world. Along with Daredevil, The Punisher is one of those rare Marvel books that shies away from big story-lines and just focuses on being an all-around fantastic read.

Writer: Brian Azzerello
Artists: Cliff Chiang, Tony Akins, and Kano

Who would have thought that DC would be pumping out a Wonder Woman comic every month that is amongst the best reads in the industry? By truly immersing Diana in the incestuous world of the Greek gods, Wonder Woman has gone from a book that existed solely to keep longtime fans happy to a book that has finally found its own unique voice.

For many characters, DC’s “New 52” reboot acted as a slight retooling to their personality, but with Wonder Woman, Azzarello basically reconstructed the character from the ground up. And after 10 issues of this series, we can’t imagine the character in any other way.

Backed up by a rotating cast of A-list artists, Wonder Woman has redefined a legend and has given the world of comics a truly badass female character who's more than just a sex symbol.

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Yanick Paquette, Marco Rudy, and Francesco Francavilla

If there's one area in which DC’s “New 52” has succeeded beyond our expectations, it’s the fact that "New 52" revitalized some of the company’s under-appreciated characters. One of the company’s properties that has benefited the most is Swamp Thing. Under the watchful eye of writer Scott Snyder, Swamp Thing has become one of the best books at the company thanks to its blend of action, horror, and philosophical musings.

Similar to Animal Man, this book isn’t saddled to one genre. Snyder employs all of the tools in his arsenal to craft a truly unique comic that shies away from the typical superhero formula. For the first time in a long time, Swamp Thing seems like a vital part to the DC Universe again as these stories have real stakes and drama.

Most of the stories this year dealt with Alec Holland’s revival as Swamp Thing, but more recently, Snyder has reintroduced us to Anton Arcane in one of the most genuinely creepy mainstream issues we have seen in a while. And with a roster of stylized artists ready to craft this disturbing imagery, Swamp Thing will no doubt be on our list at the end of 2012, as well.

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Artist: Nic Klein

Honestly, we didn’t even know Dancer was in the works at the beginning of the year, but here we are in July and it has quickly become one of the best books at Image Comics. Written by Nathan Edmondson (Who is Jake Ellis?), with art by Nic Klein (Viking), Dancer is a stripped-down pulse-pounding thriller that packs an unpredictable punch into every issue.

In the book, a former spy named Alan Fisher attempts to retire with his ballerina girlfriend named Quinn, though she has no idea about his past. Unfortunately, just as the happy couple decides to settle down, Alan’s twisted clone shows up and kidnaps Quinn. Now Alan has to rescue his girlfriend, while finding out who created this clone and why. It may only be three issues deep as of now, but this is one of the few titles that we count the days until the next installment is to be released.

Touting the break-neck pace of the Bourne Identity and the gritty sci-fi feel of Who is Jake Ellis?, Dancer should serve to make both Edmondson and Klein household names in the comic book world. With deep plots and some of the best art around (just take a look at Klein’s beautiful rendition of Dresden), Dancer just proves that you don’t need flashy gimmicks and superpowers to make a good comic.

Writer and artist: Darwyn Cooke

It seemed like everyone was skeptical when DC announced Before Watchmen earlier in the year, and, to be honest, they had every right to be. The story that Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created in the original Watchmen is still the preeminent work in the history of the medium, and no matter how hard the company tries, it won’t live up to it in the eyes of most fans. But make no mistake about it, Before Watchmen: Minutemen isn’t just good—it’s superb.

Easily standing out from the rest of the Before Watchmen books so far, Minutemen succeeds in capturing the feel and tone of the original while also being completely unique. Told through the eyes of Hollis Mason, the original Nite-Owl, Minutemen details the formation of the country’s first superhero team. But they’re not the altruistic dogooders that they should be; rather, most of the team is simply in it for fame and money, at the behest of their sleazy agent.

After only two issues, Cooke has completely sold us on this project thanks to his great characterizations and nostalgic art. Before Watchmen: Minutemen is a callback to the Golden Age of superheroes, but with a jaded edge that brings these colorful characters down to our level. It might be a mixed bag so far (although Ozymandias and Silk Spectre did have superb debut issues), but we can easily see Minutemen rising above the rest by the time the epitaph is written on this controversial project.

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artists: Barry Kitson, Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, Ron Garney, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Karl Kesel

The year started with writer Jonathan Hickman and company in the middle of their massive Fantastic Four epic titled “Forever.” It tied up multiple plot threads from Hickman’s previous years on the book, as well as plots that past writers introduced.

With intergalactic wars, alternate versions of Reed Richards, a showdown with Galactus, and plenty of complicated sci-fi themes throughout, Hickman managed to craft a Fantastic Four story that was just as smart as it was personal. Amidst this massive blockbuster, Hickman still found time to focus the family's personal story that has made this book endure for decades.

But even after “Forever” ended, Hickman’s momentum on the book hasn’t stopped. We have since seen stories involving time travel, an alternate look at the team’s origins, and a recent trip to Wakanda that reminds us just how expansive the Marvel Universe really is.

If you haven’t been reading Hickman’s work here, we certainly don’t suggest you try to hop on now. Go back to the beginning and start the arduous task of catching up. It will be difficult, but completely worth it. Chances are we won’t see another run like this at Marvel for quite some time.

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard

It’s no surprise that Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead is on this list. Since its inception in 2003, Kirkman's epic zombie saga has been a true testament to the ingenuity of indie writers and artists. And now that we're officially at 100 issues, the book has only gotten bigger and better.

This year has seen Rick and his gang discover a new group of survivors that seem like they’re there to help. But as a war erupts with another rival group, things quickly go to hell. Blood is spilled, long-present characters die, and Rick teeters even closer to the edge of sanity.

Kirkman’s story-lines have a slow burn quality to them that pay off big at the end. Along with some terrifically gruesome art by Charlie Adlard, Kirkman is writing like there's no end in sight for this book. So if you like the TV show but haven’t gotten into the comics yet, the past six months' worth of stories are perfect for catching up.

Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory

We here at Complex love Chew. It’s an incredibly smart, funny, and unique read that's unlike anything other comic companies are pumping out today. Chronicling the adventures of the woefully unlucky FDA agent Tony Chu, writer John Layman has created one of the freshest worlds in all of comics. Complete with bizarre, and often disgusting, humor, Chew is a comedy mixed with a detective story and topped off with a bit of the surreal.

So far this year, Tony Chu has been kidnapped by one of the many psychos he has inadvertently wronged over the years and was forced to help write a book about the sexual exploits of legendary baseball players. Meanwhile, his former partner was teamed up with a deranged cage-fighting chicken named Poyo in his absence. Not a lot of it was logical, but it was all hysterical.

Thanks to the always top-notch art by Rob Guillory, Chew is filled to the brink with both outlandish and subtle humor that demands multiple readings just to absorb all of it. It’s not an incredibly serious book, nor does it pull of any PR stunts to try and get people to buy it. Chew is, simply, one of the funniest titles on the market.

Writer: Mark Waid
Aritst: Paolo Rivera, Marcos Martin, Kano, Marco Checchetto, Chris Samnee, and Koi Pham

Our choice for the best comic of 2011 is still going strong as Mark Waid continues to reinvent the wheel on Daredevil with each new issue. We've seen Ol’ Horn Head go up against the Mole Man, Megacrime, and the army of Latveria, with a Punisher/Spider-Man team-up thrown in, as well. Waid's take on Daredevil is much more upbeat than the character's usual dour and depressed veneer, but cracks are beginning to show in his façade.

The second half of 2012 will be big for Daredevil as Waid will firmly establish where exactly he will be taking the character in the future. In the last issue to hit stands, Daredevil #14, the character was left on the run and powerless in Dr. Doom’s home country of Latveria. Waid continues to flog Murdock, but he hasn’t yet fully snapped. We’ll see in the next few months if that can last.

The book really needs a stable artist to come on for the long haul to truly be considered one of the great Marvel runs of all time, but, regardless, Daredevil is still gorgeous.

Writer: David Hine
Artist: Shaky Kane

To say Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred shakes up the preconceptions of the comic book medium is like saying the Atlantic Ocean is fairly damp. Completely shattering normal narrative conventions and artistic boundaries, this title is part satire, part homage, and wholly sadistic all at the same time. Best of all, each issue acts as its own self-contained tale, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the overly-serialized nature of modern comics.

So far we have seen issues deal with a bizarre set of post-modern vignettes, the disturbing nature of a child’s imagination, and a visual story comprised of completely unrelated panels. David Hine and Shaky Kane created this book to remind the world that comics aren’t arenas solely designed for corporate mascots to flex their muscles and sell toys. It’s a rich medium where risks demand to be taken.

The writing is spot-on, but Kane’s art is what makes this while thing work. Each page is vial, offensive, and disgusting, all while being undeniably captivating. We just hope that there's more Bulletproof Coffin on the way.

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artists: Travel Foreman, John Paul Leon, Steve Pugh, and Alberto Ponticelli

As one of the breakout titles from DC’s “New 52” reboot, Animal Man continues to lead the way for inventive superhero stories that aren’t shackled to just one genre. Led by Jeff Lemire's philosophical scripts, Animal Man is a deep meditation on the relationship between man and nature, but it also features a sassy talking cat named Socks. It’s completely ridiculous at times, and that’s part of the book's charm.

One of the title's only downsides is the rotating cast of artists that have worked on Animal Manover the first half of the year. Don’t get us wrong, none of the artists are bad; in fact, they have all brought something unique to the table. But it’s still a little jarring when every few issues features a different look.

Those problems aside, Animal Man is still a fantastic read for people looking for a bit more depth to their superhero stories.

Writer: Rick Remender
Artists: Billy Tan, Greg Tocchini, and Phil Noto

While the rest of the Marvel U is dealing with the action-packed, though over-bloated, Avengers vs. X-Men crossover, Rick Remender is quietly going about his business over on Uncanny X-Force, and he's simply killing it on every issue.

In the book, Wolverine leads an extreme team of X-Men that have an “anything goes” mentality when it comes to their mutant crusade. During the course of the year, the team has traveled to Otherworld, killed an evil version of Ice Man, faced off against the Omega Clan, and learned of a new Brotherhood of Mutants.

Uncanny X-Force is as entertaining as it is complex, mainly because Remender refuses to simply rehash leftover X-Men stories from years past. Finally, someone has given the mutants their edge back.

As with other books on this list, though, Uncanny X-Force is besieged by a rotating cast of artists, but they all handle their work well and serve to add to the mythology. If you’re tired of exhausting crossovers and think the X-Men have grown stale over the years, give Uncanny X-Force a try. We’re just hoping that Marvel doesn’t cancel or reboot the title when Marvel NOW launches in October.

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Kevin O’Neill

Allow us to sell you on League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009: In it, Harry Potter is the Antichrist and he kills people by shootings lightning bolts from his penis. No joke.

For some writers, that's a story detail too devious to ever be put to paper, but for Alan Moore it’s actually par for the course. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009 is the last chapter of the third volume of Moore’s literary mash-up, and it deftly ties together plot threads from the previous Century books in style.

This volume sees Orlando, the sex-changing lead from Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando: A Biography, tasked with finding Mina Harker in order to help her stop the rise of the Antichrist. Along the way, Moore sprinkles in thinly-veiled character cameos from the pantheon of literature from Shakespeare to Disney. For the eagle-eyed lit fanatic, these cameos should be one of the joys of this book.

Easter eggs aside, this is a brilliantly told, dense read that's more unabashedly fun than anything else on this list. It further proves that Alan Moore still has a knack for giving us exactly what we don’t expect, and that’s exactly what we want from him.

Artist Kevin O’Neill also delivers some brilliance here. O'Neill's illustrations are more than up to the task of going toe-to-toe with Moore’s scripts, thanks to his ability to tell a story simply through facial expressions.

Obviously this is the third part of a much grander epic, so before you dive into it, you should really catch up on the previous Century books. Once you do, try to mentally prepare yourself for a comic book that's unlike anything else you’ve ever opened up before.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Philips

Any other year this list would be filled with superhero titles from Ed Brubaker; however, as the superstar writer begins to move away from that genre to concentrate on his creator-owned work, we’re left with Fatale, one of the surprise hits of the year. Mixing noir with fantasy and horror, Fatale explores the mysterious life of a woman named Josephine.

In the present day, Josephine meets Nicolas Lash, whose life is immediately changed forever as a result. We then journey back to the 1950s, where Josephine is not only still alive, but she’s the same exact age. We don't know why or how, but it's a gripping mystery that drives the whole narrative.

From there, Brubaker and Philips introduce us to elements of pulp and horror that serve to add to the overall tale, not dominate it. The plot is thick and complex, with a few issues needing to be re-read in order to grasp all of it, but once you digest the story we’re positive you won’t be disappointed.

A few weeks ago, the second story arc of the title launched, and it features a new time period and cast. Now that Brubaker’s full narrative is beginning to become clearer, Fatale looks like it’s just now beginning to hit its stride.

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples

One of the comic book genres that often gets ignored is the space opera. Sure, there are titles like Guardians of the Galaxy and Green Lantern Corps, but they usually fall into the same trappings as most other mainstream books by getting sucked into crossovers and team-up story-lines with other superheroes.

Thankfully, Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga came along earlier in the year and completely reimagined what the genre can be. Along with the phenomenal art by Fiona Staples, Vaughan’s Saga is the story of a pair of star-crossed lovers from two warring species who are hunted down after they have a child together.

Featuring some clean and elemental storytelling, Saga is more about character interactions and relationships than spaceships and laser pistols. Vaughan’s characters are all genuine in their personalities, and it’s hard not to find something or someone to relate to here. The love between Alana and Marko is one of the best things going in comics right now; it’s a relationship that's easy to invest in because of how honest it feels.

Saga is a mash-up of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Romeo and Juliet, but there's enough originality at work that it never seems like Vaughan or Staples are simply copying and pasting plots and designs. Our advice: Go out and buy this book now before the inevitable movie version comes out and bastardizes everything we love about it.

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Pitarra

Having seemingly surfaced out of nowhere, Jonathan Hickman’s Manhattan Projects is a bizarre romp through the atomic age that sees historical figures we've read about for decades in text books get disassembled by a surreal plot involving aliens, alternate dimensions, and head-scratching sci-fi themes.

Writer Jonathan Hickman's wild imagination gives birth to Einstein, the foul-mouthed drunk; the evil twin brother of Robert Oppenheimer; a half-robot Nazi scientist working for the U.S.; and the computerized spirit of F.D.R. who is still giving orders well beyond his expiration date. All of these misfits are given access to some of the most expensive and advanced technology the world has ever seen, and none of them seem too altruistic about any of it.

Artist Nick Pitarra adds an otherworldly quality to every page as his pencils have a Moebius-esque look to them, which, for the uninitiated, is a very good thing. This creative team is pumping out one of the most impressive comics we have seen in a long time, and it further drives the point home that while DC and Marvel compete for dominance in sales, Image already won the battle for creativity.

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo

After writing only writing four issues in 2011, Scott Snyder quickly propelled Batman into being one of the best comics of the year. And now that he's been given more time to truly develop his vision, Snyder has managed to top himself by easily turning Batman into the best comic of 2012 so far.

Snyder’s first year on the book involved Batman being hunted down by a mysterious cult called the Court of the Owls. Unbeknownst to the Caped Crusader, they were operating in Gotham City for decades and pulling the strings of power from behind the scenes. The Court's merciless obsession with ruling Gotham put them directly at odds with the Caped Crusader after they officially made it their mission to eliminate him.

The first half of 2012 dealt specifically with Snyder’s magnum opus, “Night of the Owls,” a large crossover storyline that detailed the Court's attempts to assassinate all of the major power players in Gotham over the span of one night. As Batman and his allies attempted to fight them off, the Dark Knight also had to fend off the group’s leader, who made a shocking claim about his relationship to the Wayne family.

The intricate plot here is both action-packed and extremely emotional as Batman must come face-to-face with his own mortality, his faith in his family, and the fact that he might not know Gotham as well as he thought. But aside from the blockbuster scripts, the real hero of this title is artist Greg Capullo. His art looks and feels like a combination of his twisted work on Spawn and the look of the classic Batman: The Animated Series. There's a feeling of expressionism in these issues that puts every emotion and theme right into the art, and it all comes together to create a style that no other book at the company can compare to.

We can’t see this book slowing down any time soon, especially with the highly-anticipated return of the Joker in October. We know you’re all excited for The Dark Knight Rises, but what Snyder and Capullo are doing on Batman shouldn’t be ignored.