Words and Pictures

2020 was a bad year. We all know that, and we all want 2021 to be better. There already is and will continue to be a lot of talk about how we can make that happen, both on individual and communal scales. The discussion is certainly interesting, but it's not what I want to talk about today. I did consider throwing my hat in the ring, but I'd rather end the year off on a good note by talking about something that kept me going as times got tough: comics.

It goes without saying that comics aren't the only thing that helped me stay sane as the world turned upside down. I spoke about music last time, but really, it was my friends and family who supported me -- and I supported them in turn. There were rough patches, yes, but that was only to be expected with tensions being so universally high, not to mention all the personal and political changes I went through this year. 2021 will see continued change, I imagine, both in myself and the world around me. Years are just numbers, however; to blame a number for all of our problems dumbs things down a bit too much for my taste. I know I myself began this entry by calling 2020 "a bad year," but... I digress. I said I wouldn't throw my hat in the ring, and I'm nothing if not a man of my word. From here on out, it's comics and only comics -- or, more specifically, graphic stories in general, which include comic books, graphic novels, manga, web comics, and all similar formats.

A year or two ago, my siblings and I began compiling our favorite things into neat little 5x5 grids, whether that meant favorite characters or favorite movies or what have you. Just recently, I realized, "Wait a minute... graphic storytelling is the best thing to ever happen to mankind. Why haven't I made a 5x5 for it yet?!" And so I did. It wasn't easy, but you can see the result for yourself in the handy little image to the right there.

The way my siblings and I organize these grids, the closer a square is to the middle, the more we like it. So, Tier 4 makes up the outer perimeter; Tier 3 is made up of the four squares in an "X" formation around the center; Tier 2 is made up of the four squares in a "+" formation around the center; and finally, Tier 1 is the center itself. I could go on for days about each square on the 5x5, but I'll hold back for your sake, Dear Reader. If you wanna talk more about comics, feel free to contact me. Anyway, we'll start with Tier 4 and go down from there (or up, I suppose). I'll attach links in case you're interested in any of these stories -- though you could always search for them on Bookshop.

TIER 4

• City in the Desert by Moro Rogers -- One of the most unique comics I've ever read, it starts stronger than it finishes, but it remains a wonderful, character-driven adventure all the way through. A masterpiece of minimalism and a creator's willingness to embrace all things weird.
  
• 5 Centimeters per Second by Makoto Shinkai and Yukiko Seike -- I've never seen the movie this manga is based on, but I don't think I need to after reading. It's a beautiful exploration of relationships told through the eyes of several different people, providing a broader perspective on what's normally a one- or two-sided affair.
  
• Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson -- I've not met a single person who dislikes Calvin and Hobbes, and (assuming they exist) I never hope to. Wholly embracing the power and possibility of imagination, this series is special to me in ways I could never put into words. Oh, and Calvin has made me laugh more than maybe any other character ever. That helps.
  
• Spider-Man: Blue by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale -- Ah, Spidey. My old friend. He's debatably my favorite character of all time, but there's no debate that this is my favorite story of him ever told. Interestingly, it's actually a retelling of some older Spidey tales from way back when, contextualized by a somber Peter reminiscing about Gwen Stacy on Valentine's Day many years after her death. *chef's kiss*
  
• Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly -- Told in a series of 12 vignettes set across the States, Local touches on themes of wanderlust, the self, and what it means to be home. I remember sitting there for a long time after reading it: arms crossed, the book on my lap, thinking about everything and nothing all at once.
• Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? by Alan Moore and Curt Swan -- I'm of the rare opinion that Moore's best work is neither Watchmen nor V for Vendetta (both of which I believe are vastly overrated), but this story about the Man of Steel. The story's self-contained nature lends itself to honoring Superman's legacy in the most emotionally intimate way possible.
  
• Motor Girl by Terry Moore -- There's much to be said about Moore's work (good and bad things), but Motor Girl is undoubtedly his magnum opus in my mind. Despite the ridiculous premise of a woman and her imaginary friend taking on aliens, it's an extremely mature look at the effects PTSD can have on everyday life. At only 10 issues, it's as short and... bittersweet as Moore's work gets.
• Deadly Class by Rick Remender and Wes Craig -- This story of teenage assassins is amazingly entertaining, but I'd be remiss not to highlight Wes Craig's panel work, which is honestly the best I've ever seen. Combined with the brilliant colorists who've worked on the series, it's the thing my mind goes to when someone says "eye candy," and it's got the substance to back it up.
• Neon Genesis Evangelion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto -- The anime may've come first, but the manga has merits all its own. When both versions are considered side-by-side, this story is quite simply one of the best ever told. Right from the very beginning, it establishes itself as so much more than just "giant robots fight giant monsters," but boy, the fights sure are something!
  
• Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudžuka, and Paul Chadwick -- Post-apocalyptic stories are a dime a dozen, so the ones that stand out really stand out. As the title implies, this tale is about the last man on Earth; what the title doesn't tell you is that his pet monkey survived, too -- as did all the world's women. Believe me, it's far from the paradise it sounds like it might be.
  
• Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross -- It must be said: Ross is the most breathtaking artist working in comics today. Marvels may be his first major work, but wow does it hold up well; even without words, I could spend hours upon hours staring at this book. Luckily, the words are pretty interesting, too, chronicling important Marvel Universe events through a photographer's eyes.
• The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard -- This zombie tale needs no introduction, and for good reason. How Kirkman managed to keep this post-apocalyptic tale engaging for 193 issues is no secret: it's all thanks to the characters. If you must know, Andrea's my favorite, and the show ruined her. The show just isn't all that good in comparison, in my humble opinion.
• Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jill Thompson -- Like every other flagship DC (and Marvel) hero, Wonder Woman's had her origin retold time and again, but this version is far and away the best in my estimation. Why? Because it makes one of the world's most likable fictional icons … unlikable! Watching her grow into the hero we know and love is far more interesting than starting out picture perfect.
• My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi -- Even a self-proclaimed comics junkie like me can admit that superheroes get old after a while, but when they're done well, they're done well (which is how I feel about every genre, I suppose). Horikoshi loves superheroes, and that love comes through in how his story deconstructs them and challenges the very notion of what it means to be a hero.
  
• Dark Souls: War of the Ancient Dragons by Qizeaqfile -- Dark Souls lore isn't always immediately digestible for how vague it can be, but that's part of the charm: you, the player, piecing together what it all means. This comic is essentially one fan's take on that lore, and it's just the coolest thing ever (next to the games themselves). 'Nuff said.
  
• Alias by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos -- I don't normally jive with private investigator stories, but when a private investigator just so happens to be a former superhero who doesn't take anyone's crap? Then you've got me. If you enjoyed the first season of Jessica Jones, it's because of this nonpareil little series right here.

TIER 3

• Death by Neil Gaiman and various -- When most people think of death, they think of a ghostly grim reaper with a scythe and a skeleton's face. When I think of death, I think of the capital D, Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg version. This book collects the majority of Death's comics appearances, all delightfully introspective and well-thought out stories that stick with you like nothing else.
  
• Solanin by Inio Asano -- I don't always need relatability to enjoy a story or like a character, but in Solanin protagonist Meiko Inoue's case, I relate hard. It's difficult to describe exactly why without delving into spoiler territory, but trust me when I tell you all the emotions I feel for her are intimately tied to how I see myself. And anyway, Solanin is an incredible slice-of-life story in its own right.
• Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley -- Charmingly written and even more charmingly drawn, this comics classic is every bit as good as it's toted to be and better. In Scott's own words, "I don't think I'm ready to be a grown-up." Yeah. Me neither, buddy. On a completely unrelated note, Kim Pine is the best character; every other opinion is flat-out incorrect. I'll die on that hill, I swear.
• The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon -- This book came as a complete surprise to me. I learned about it through Good Ok Bad and decided to pick it up, and... well. It is quite possibly the best depiction of mental illness I've seen in any medium, and may ever see. I never wanted it to end, but when it inevitably did, I made sure to display it prominently on my bookshelf. Few books deserve that honor more.

TIER 2

• Bone by Jeff Smith -- Aptly described as The Lord of the Rings for kids, Bone is epic storytelling at its finest. Don't let the "for kids" dissuade you, though: when I said "Bone is epic storytelling at its finest" a sentence ago, I really, really meant it. The memorable characters, the interwoven story arcs, the gorgeous landscapes -- it's all there, all depicted by one of comics' most stand-out artists.
• The Flowers of Evil by Shūzō Oshimi -- Sawa Nakamura. That is all.
  
• Blankets by Craig Thompson -- One winter's night, years ago, I opened this gigantic graphic novel for the first time. By the time I closed it hours later, I wasn't sure I'd be able to process reality ever again. I've seen lots of beautiful things and met lots of beautiful people in my life, but none even come close to Thompson's art. To this day, I can recall entire pages of this story, and can't help but smile when I do.
• Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa -- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is my favorite show of all time, and it aligns nearly one-to-one with this manga. There aren't enough words in this lifetime to explain how much this story means to me, but if I were to say only one thing and leave it at that, it would be this: Don't let go of the people you love -- truly love. Not now, not ever.

TIER 1

• Invincible by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley -- When people ask me who my favorite superhero is, I'm inclined to say Spider-Man. But as time passes and Spidey is retconned and rehashed again and again, my mind instead turns to Invincible. I picked up the series after falling in love with Kirkman's other work (namely, The Walking Dead), and... let's just say it may've been the single best decision I ever made. I'm barely even exaggerating. Man... just thinking about it is making me smile. It's the cream of the comics crop.

Whew! That was a long one. If you stuck with me all the way, you can be called nothing less than a trooper, Dear Reader. Stay warm, stay safe, and throw together some 5x5s of your own if you have the time. It's fun! I use paint.net, but I'd hardly call myself tech-savvy, so you do you.