Illustration by Don Sparrow

TWO THOUSAND eight was a banner year for the comics industry. Aside from the giant leaps Hollywood made with financial and critical successes like Iron Man and The Dark Knight, some of the most magnificent work in comics was happening back in the pulp of the books that birthed them. Here is a look at the ten best comic book series published last year.

10. 1985
Publisher: Marvel
Creative Team: Mark Millar (writer); Tommy Lee Edwards (Artist)

Why it’s great: This story is something of a departure from regular Marvel fare. It contains familiar heroes and villains, but in this story, the Marvel universe of 1985 begins to merge with our own, and only a quiet boy and his down-on-his-luck father realize what’s happening. Written and illustrated to emulate the golden glow of 80s kids’ films like ET and The Monster Squad, Millar’s series is a fun and relatable story where “the first line of defense against the villains is the kid who reads Marvel Comics,” a premise that manages to capture the feeling you’d have as a child recognizing The Vulture on your block. Overlooked in terms of sales, this period story was a real hidden gem in 2008, straddling the line between four-color adventure and real-life family drama, all told with a Wonder Years-like wistfulness from the point of view of the now-adult protagonist.

Art: Tommy Lee Edward’s photographic art style gives the story a rather eerie feel, as though you’re watching a film from 1985 that time forgot, grounding Millar’s larger-than-life characters with suburban detail and adult skepticism. The color is so vivid and nostalgic that it becomes a character in itself as Toby ventures into the flat world of the Marvel universe.

What’s not so good: Some of the action and characters are pretty dated to the summer of 1985, which makes the period element a little inaccessible. You have to be a pretty knowledgeable scholar of 80s comics to fully appreciate all the little nods, or sometimes even to know who people are.

Final Word: Each issue surpassed the previous one, right up until the bittersweet ending. Reading it, you couldn’t help but think what a cool movie this would have made.

9. Batman R.I.P.
Publisher: DC Comics
Creative Team: Grant Morrison (writer); and Tony Daniel (artist, among others)

Why it’s great: Known for its sprawling, mind-bending storytelling, Morrison’s Batman attempted the near-impossible task of validating all 69 years of Batman. Those goofy stories from the 50s with the giant set pieces? They all happened. Alfred’s original last name being Beagle, instead of Pennyworth? Also true. Ace, the Bat-hound? Well, you get the idea.

As Morrison worked in over a half century of tales, all of it was leading to his coup de grâce, Batman: RIP, wherein an underground criminal organization known only as “The Black Glove” set about destroying Bruce Wayne’s life in every conceivable way. The conclusion of this “final” Batman story made headlines around the world. Some readers maligned the convoluted storytelling (there is still debate among fans as to the identity of the leader of the Black Hand), the story, especially with its last reveal, actually lived up to Morrison’s own hyperbolic boast that “it’s possibly the most shocking Batman revelation in 70 years.”

What’s not so good: While Morrison’s stories were consistently good (and I admit, complicated) enough to require an immediate second reading, the inconsistent art on the title slightly hampered the its ability to achieve its potential. Tony Daniel’s work showed a good understanding of physical anatomy and architecture, but sometimes lacked dramatic punch (often literally). Even in the final issue of the RIP a key scene would have, say, Batman escaping from a coffin six feet underground, and Daniel chose to interpret this dramatic moment not by showing the action triumphantly, but rather by depicting the aftermath—a muddied Batman standing statically over the open grave.

Final Word: While the storyline may not in fact mean that Bruce Wayne, let alone the character of Batman is truly dead (are they ever?), with Morrison at the helm, I am willing to have some faith and read what happens next. Then read it again.

8. Fantastic Four
Publisher: Marvel
Creative Team: Mark Millar (writer); Bryan Hitch (artist)

Why it’s great: The creative team that made Ultimates and Ultimates II consistent bestsellers reunites to chronicle the adventures of Marvel’s foremost family, and they do it in style. Large-scale, widescreen adventure with small interpersonal detail, this book both captures the feel and tone of the original Jack Kirby stories and adds a mature modern sensibility. As a relative newcomer to the Fantastic Four, this title has shown me just why Reed Richards is the smartest man in the Marvel universe, while also showing some of the hubris that explains his choosing “Mr. Fantastic” as his superhero name. (Seriously? Who does that?) We see what the vivacious Sue Storm sees in her egghead husband and also that her strength of character as Invisible Woman is what keeps Reed’s love for her strong in spite of her average intelligence. Johnny Storm is afforded more nuance than his filmic counterpart, and his combative interplay with his gruff “uncle” The Thing comes off as authentic rather than cloying.

This series also featured what was for me the most romantic moment in any comic of 2008: Reed builds a time machine to surprise Sue with dinner at a restaurant with a view of their very first meet-cute, which happened a decade earlier on the sidewalk outside.

Art: This is the real reason I gave this title a shot: Bryan Hitch is simply the best artist currently working in comics. His attention to detail and dynamic realism make this the prettiest book on the shelf. While I’m not completely sold on the soft edges of the panels (as opposed to outlining them in black, as is standard in comics, or having all the panels laid out on a black page, as was done in Ultimates) Hitch’s design sense, be it his tweaks to the costumes, complete redesign of the Fantasticar, or a miniature version of New York City on an alternate earth, is the sharpest and most modern in comics today.

What’s not so good: Not having this book tie into any of the other events in the Marvel universe detracts from the occurrences having as much potency as they could. These stories seem so self-contained that they can almost seem irrelevant to the Marvel universe as a whole. Also, Reed and Sue’s hyper-intelligent toddler is just creepy.

Final Word: This book hasn’t yet made me a life-long fan of these characters, but I am in for the duration—so long as it is these two creators who dictate the events in the Fantastic life of the world’s first imaginaut family.