2022 was a great year for Marvel Comics. We got all kinds of great stories for some of our favorite characters and even some new ones. So to celebrate the past year, I’ve decided to take a look back at some of my personal favorites in a variety of categories.
We began this tradition last year, taking the time to recognize some of the best comics of 2021. So why don’t we keep that going this year? We should probably come up with a name for these awards. The Mackies? Captain America might take issue with that one. We’ll think of something eventually. For now though, let’s just take a look back at some of the best in Marvel Comics from 2022.
Best Panel
This goes to the best individual panel in a comic. A combination of art, writing, impact on the story and humor are built into my considerations here.
The nominees:
Moob Knife
“Damage Control #1″ – Hans Rodionoff, Adam Goldberg, Jay Fosgitt and Will Robson
Clea’s First Visitor
“Strange #1″ – Jed MacKay and Marcelo Ferreira
Cyclops is Judged
“X-Men #14″ – Gerry Duggan and C.F. Villa
The Good of the Universe
“Fantastic 4 #42″ – Dan Slott and Rachael Stott
And the winner is…
The Good of the Universe
Out of context, this panel really doesn’t look like much. However, in this moment, Ben Grimm is learning that his family sacrificed themselves for, as Reed puts it, “the good of the universe.” The Thing is not typically the most expressive character and yet, his eyes say everything here. You can feel his anger, his fear, his sadness and everything in between just by looking at his eyes. Rachael Stott really captured the emotion of this moment in such a simply, yet affective way.
Best Splash Page
Taking a step up from the smaller panels, splash pages typically feature some incredible art and are often used for some big reveals, especially at the end of the issue.
The nominees:
The X-Men
“X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1” – Gerry Duggan, Russell Dauterman, Kris Anka, C.F. Villa and Matteo Lolli
Chasm
“The Amazing Spider-Man #93″ – Zeb Wells, Mark Bagley, Patrick Gleason and Sara Pichelli
The Good Old Days
“X-Men ‘92: House of XCII #1″ – Steve Foxe and Salva Espin
Round One: Fight!
“Hulk vs. Thor: Banner of War #1″ – Donny Cates and Martin Coccolo
And the winner is…
The Good Old Days
The nostalgia has won me over. “X-Men ‘92: House of XCII #1″ as a series really brings back X-Men: The Animated Series in comic form and this one page pretty much perfectly captures all of that. The art style mirrors the series while the details – Dazzler poster, Spidey plush, Deadpool magazine cover, and various other ‘90s vibes – really bring it home. And then there’s the almost meta line from Jubilee that pulls it all together.
Best Cover
You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly judge the cover itself. Comic covers are often very different from the story behind them, but they often feature some incredible visuals and showcase the talents of some of the best artists in the world.
The nominees:
X Deaths of Wolverine #1
Adam Kubert
The Death of Doctor Strange #5
Kaare Andrews
Daredevil #1
Martin Checchetto
Immortal X-Men #4
Mark Brooks
And the winner is…
Daredevil #1
This was probably the toughest choice of the year. Just narrowing the list down to four was quite a challenge and then I remembered I needed to actually pick a winner. In the end, Checchetto won me over with this dark “Daredevil” cover. The gothic style perfectly encapsulates the character to kick off this new series. What really won me over here though was the rain. You can almost feel this cover with details like the drops splashing off of Daredevil’s head.
Best Event
Some of the biggest stories in Marvel Comics don’t necessarily follow just one character. The big crossover events always lead to some exciting stories and some epic moments. From the main story to the tie-in issues, a lot of talented people put a lot of work into these amazing stories.
The nominees:
Judgment Day
Hulk vs. Thor: Banner of War
Avengers Assemble
Devil’s Reign
And the winner is…
Judgment Day
Admittedly, 2022 wasn’t exactly a big year for major comic events. “Devil’s Reign” was hurt a bit by being split across 2021 and 2022, and that opened the door for “Judgment Day.” The sprawling event teamed up the Avengers and X-Men, two groups who have crossed paths multiple times. However, it also throws the Eternals into the mix, creating a wrinkle that has never really been there before. The original story is creative and clever and it leads to some very exciting moments. Plus, with this many characters in one story, your bound to see at least a few of your favorites. The event got off to a really strong start before kind of fizzling out in the end. Still, it was strong enough to be the best event of the year.
Best New Series
2022 saw a lot of great new stories get started. We all have our favorite ongoing series but sometimes it’s nice to start out fresh, even if it’s just reintroducing us to a character we’ve loved for years.
The nominees:
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty
Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Carmen Carnero
Strange Academy: Finals
Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos
Secret Invasion
Ryan North and Francesco Mobili
Strange
Jed MacKay and Marcelo Ferreira
And the winner is…
Strange
“The Death of Doctor Strange” was kind of a tough sell because of the nature of comic book characters and how long they tend to stay dead. However, the aftermath of the event left us with Clea Strange as the new Sorcerer Supreme. This gave a lot of fans a chance to really be introduced to the character and gave her a chance to really shine. It also made for a very interesting story, with some characters taking issue with Clea being the new Sorcerer Supreme and Stephen Strange’s death leaving quite a void. We’re still awaiting the epis finale of this series, but to this point it has been fantastic.
Best Issue
And finally, when we’re talking about the best comics of 2022, we should probably choose a best comic. Picking a single best issue over the course of an entire year is a nearly impossible task as there are so many great ones to choose from, but there were definitely a few standouts.
The nominees:
Strange Academy: Finals #1
Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos
Dark Web #1
Zeb Wells and Adam Kubert
A.X.E.:Judgment Day #1
Kieron Gillen and Valerio Schiti
The Amazing Spider-Man #93
Zeb Wells, Mark Bagley, Patrick Gleason and Sara Pichelli
And the winner is…
Strange Academy: Finals #1
I really struggled not to choose “Strange Academy: Finals” for the ‘Best New Series,’ but with only three issues having been released in 2022, it was hard to give it that title. However, “Strange Academy: Finals #1″ is the easy choice for the best singular issue. This story, which kicked off in 2020, has really come to a head and the characters are really getting to do some great stuff now. Skottie Young has managed to build an original corner of the Marvel Universe, a seemingly impossible task these days, and has fans hanging on every word. For those who read the 18-issue “Strange Academy” run, this first issue of “Finals” will really pull you in and get you excited for what’s to come.
2022 was a great year for Marvel Comics and 2023 is already shaping up to give us more of the same. You can read most of these comics now on Marvel Unlimited and the others will be along soon.