The Best and the Worst of 2016 Comic Books

Yes, the time has come to say goodbye to (aka light on fire) 2016 and ring in 2017. Here’s a look back at the Best and the Worst of 2016* Comic Books.

I reviewed 265 pieces of individual media on this blog this year. Giant Days, Jem and the Holograms, and Lumberjanes had the most individual issue reviews at 12 issues each. Technically, I reviewed 16 Wonder Woman comics; but the New 52 and Rebirth comics are vastly different stories and one was close to the top 5 and the other at the bottom rating-wise.

I changed the format a bit as some stories start off or end strong, which might be my only reviews. But for series where I reviewed many issues, I can be tough even on series that I love, and I wanted this list to reflect consistency in storytelling.

The Best Series (reviewing 6+ issues)

26 different series eligible in this category.

Monstress #11. Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Average rating: 5/5

This book is gorgeous with its fantasy, art deco, and manga influences in Takeda’s pencils. It’s horrifying with plots of a post-war world and a land of broken people. Mostly women, it’s full of women and their stories. It’s a challenge read for the soul. But also for the mind, as Liu’s world building and plots build bit-by-bit. You are immersed in them. Your hand isn’t held. You figure out how to use your feet while running just like the characters.

Read all my reviews for Monstress. Continue reading “The Best and the Worst of 2016 Comic Books”

Princeless Vol 2: Get Over Yourself Graphic Novel Review

Princeless Vol 2: Get Over YourselfErica Gives This Comic Four StarsPrinceless Vol 2: Get Over Yourself by Jeremy Whitley
Art: Emily Martin

This volume told a lot more story and build a lot more threads of characterization and subplot than the first volume, but it also meant, it was more a fractured storyline. Princeless is still very entertaining and definitely ahead of many other comics in how it looks at gender and racial stereotypes. For sure, I’ll be picking up the next volumes.

In this volume, we meet Adrienne’s older sister Angelica. Angelica seems to love being a princess and having everyone adore her. In fact, a whole cottage industry of adoration of Angelica has sprung up around the tower Angelica was supposedly imprisoned in.

With Angelica, Whitley plays with the idea of the princess whose great beauty draws a crowd. And one who likes being a great beauty and her royal title. We see Adrienne’s idea about who her sister is — a damsel in distress who can’t see the patriarchy keeping her down — disappear over the storyline. For Angelica is fit to be a royal ruler and a queen, but it is Adrienne’s own supposed heroics that bring those qualities out. Continue reading “Princeless Vol 2: Get Over Yourself Graphic Novel Review”