There's no doubt it has been one crazy year in comic books. Grand relaunches, epic crossovers and universe expanding continuations made for some pretty damn good books in 2017, and here is our selection of the Top 10 Best Comics to hit newsstands - and digital platforms - this year.
#10 - Centipede - This one really took us by surprise. In all honesty, we were extremely sceptical that an engaging comic book could spin out of an 8-bit arcade game from nearly four decades ago, but that's exactly what Max Bemis and Eoin Marron have done with their latest collaboration for Dynamite Entertainment. The series follows the lone survivor of an alien attack, who is now tasked with hunting down and killing the creature once and for all. Centipede cleverly explores how nostalgia can impact a person's life while following the last survivor of a dead world on a mission of vengeance. Here's hoping more classic arcade games get comic books as fun and engaging as this one in the future! Anyone else thinking Asteroids or Joust?
#9 - Predator: Hunters - Only a handful of individuals have faced off against the Predator and lived to tell the tale. And, in 2017, a group of those survivors banned together to take the fight to the ultimate alien hunter. Chris Warner and artist Francisco Ruiz Velasco bring together some of the toughest bastards in the known universe and drops them right in the middle of a hot bed of high stakes action - one where failure is not an option, and the winners emerge as the ultimate hunters and victors! This was a seriously great read that fans of this iconic franchise are sure to love, and we sincerely hope Dark Horse Comics brings Warner and Velasco back to a new Predator comic book franchise sooner rather than later!
#8 - Agents Of P.A.C.T. - This book follows an elite group of Canadian heroes as they prepare for an impending alien invasion. Along the way, tensions mounts and questions of trust arise as two feuding organizations come to blows despite a desperate attempt to make peace in preparation for what's next! This one's a page turner from the get-go, and it's really great to see heroes and villains from the Great White North making a stand in a field dominated by countless characters from every corner of the globe! We can't wait to see what Kalman Andrasofszky and his creative team over at Chapterhouse Publishing have in store for this top secret organization come the new year!
#7 - Sheena: Queen Of The Jungle - Taking a break from the seemingly endless onslaught of costumed heroes is this exciting revamp centred around Will Eisner and Jerry Iger's iconic Queen Of The Jungle. Hailing from the creative team of Marguerite Bennett, Christina Trujillo and artist Moritat Genre, this action-packed jungle adventure from Dynamite Entertainment follows Sheena in a race against time to locate a missing surveyor before a merciless militia unleash their fury against her helpless village. Along the way, she'll encounter deadly traps, killer plants and even soldiers of the undead, but when you're the Queen Of The Jungle, nothing can stand in your way!
#6 - The Mighty Thor - Easily one of Marvel's best books in recent years, The Mighty Thor sees the return of Jane Foster as she continues the conflict between her cancer ravaged human form and her desire to serve the world and do good as a hero. Jason Aaron returns to the series for a third year and is, once again, at the top of his game as he continues a tale that is truly worthy of Marvel's new Goddess Of Thunder with each turn of the page!
#5 - Aliens: Dead Orbit - While Alien: Covenant didn't live up to its predecessors at the box office, the same cannot be said for James Stoke's Dark Horse comic series! Recalling the tense, claustrophobic imagery that made the originally Ridley Scott film a masterpiece of the highest caliber, Aliens: Dead Orbit follows a helpless engineer as he attempts to escape a ship crawling with the multi-mouthed Xenomorphs - and it doesn't let up for a second! If Hollywood wants to know how to craft a truly great Alien movie that successfully pays homage to that which has come before, they need look no further then this exciting miniseries from James Stoke!
#4 - Ninja-K - One part James Bond, one part Batman, Valiant's new Ninja-K book follows Colin King as he searches for those responsible for killing off his mentor. Along the way, King will encounter faces from the past while delving into the deepest, darkest corners of the organization that spawned him. Hailing from Daredevil writer Christos Gage and artist Tomás Giorello, Ninja-K is a hi-tech thrill ride that sees the world's ultimate assassin on a quest for answers before it's too late. If you're not reading this one yet, you've no idea what you're missing!
#3 - The Shadow/Batman - Bruce Wayne and Ying-Ko team up once again in an exciting crossover event from Dynamite and DC that sees The Master Of Men and The Caped Crusader joining forces to take down a powerful organization known as The Silent Seven. Steve Orlando's story is engaging and action-packed, while the pictorial skills of Giovanni Timpano bring this exciting world to life in a bold and striking fashion! This is the crossover title of the year and we sincerely hope that the two publishers will be reuniting for further fun in the new year!
#2 - Batman - Tom King's Batman was one of the very best titles to come out of DC's Rebirth relaunch. This year saw some exciting story arcs like The War Of Jokes And Riddles, and even saw The Bat and The Cat finally getting engaged following years worth of sexual tension. It's a fascinating and emotional read that is a fitting testament to the legacy of The Dark Knight! This is the Batman title to be reading into the new year, and we're beyond stoked for what the future holds!
#1 Mister Miracle - Jack Kirby's escape artist got his very own title this year courtesy of Tom King and Mitch Gerads, and what a book it was! Scott Free finds himself placed on a rather dark and uncertain path as he and his wife Big Barda are flung into an all-out war between the forces of Darkseid and New Genesis. It's a haunting tale complimented by some serious stellar artwork and is, without a doubt, the most rewarding title you'll pick up this year!