Top 10 Comics Books of 2012

The year 2012 is behind us and we are confident to say that it was a great year for all the comics' lovers. We've seen all type of Comics genres, action, sci-fi, horror, romance, drama, you name it. If we can sketch any prognosis based on 2012, the 2013 should be bombastic; we expect more comics books, more comics artist, more readers, all in all, more fun for all!

Whilst mainstream publishers like DC and Marvel continues kicking, some of the independent publishers proved playing a significant role in years to come, namely Image Comics and Dark Horse. One may argue, but we would say that an absolute winner is Image Comics with 5 (!) titles on our chart.

It wasn't easy, we have been discussing for a while, hm, especially about the Number 1, however, let's take a look at The 10 Best Comics of 2012:

10. Conan the Barbarian (Dark Horse Comics)

Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Becky Cloonan, Declan Shalvey, Vasilis Lolos, James Harren

And just as it seemed that mythic fantasy was slowly slipping away from grace over the last couple of years, along comes this new take on an all-so-familiar story of Conan. Leaner and meaner, this version brings plausibility, grit and human face to the imaginary world of Cimmeria.

9. Manhattan Projects (Image Comics)

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Pitarr & Cris Peter

Here's a true weirdo for you. A surreal fest kicking off from a (not-so) preposterous notion of Project Manhattan and all its chief protagonists being just a cover-up for more radical experiments in the making. A way crazy take on the birth of the atomic age!

8. Winter Soldier (Marvel Entertainment)

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Butch Guice, Brian Albert Thies, Bettie Breitweiser and Jordan Diane Bellaire

We'll give you a hint: if you're an action comic strip aficionado with a sport watch on your wrist, you'll absolutely LOVE the art and feel of this one. That or we know nothing about comic strip.

7. Saga (Image Comics)

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples

Take everything you know about space opera, fantasy and romance, mix it up real good, and you'll get an approximate bearing on this gem. A surefire movie material, read it now so you can later whine how much better the book was.

6. Chew (Image Comics)

Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory

Brattling with majestic art, often tasteless humor and subtle messages, the adventures of agent Tony Chu will make you read the book many times over just so you can suck it all in. One of the funniest things out there.

5. Punk Rock Jesus (DC Entertainment/Vertigo)

Writer/artist: Sean Murphy

So - you take a DNA sample from the Shroud of Turin, clone JC himself and name him Chris, then make a reality show about him growing up... hmm, that sounds like you might hit a bump or two along that way... Bitter, raw and packing a powerful punch, PRJ is about to stomp all that you cherish and believe into ground. Black and white, no-frills art helps set the mood. Brilliant.

4. All Star Western (DC Entertainment)

Writers: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Moritat, Phil Winslade and Staz Johnson

An underrated treat, this western genre tale stars Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkhman in a juxtaposed relationship, tackling dirty politicians and various villains. A top-notch art and multi layered storyline is a trademark of the book. It's hard to imagine a better comeback for an almost forgotten genre that once saved the whole industry from oblivion.

3. The Walking Dead (Image Comics)

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

Nine years in the making and just getting bigger and better. This is indie at its finest hour. Don't miss out on it, you'll enjoy those hundred issues for a long time.

2. Fatale (Image Comics)

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Philips

A bit of noir, a whiff of horror, a touch of fantasy and a little thriller, and there you have it - a strange story that spans across decades with some characters mysteriously remaining the same... Very complex and rewarding read.

1. Batman (DC Entertainment)

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo

Critics and fans have said it all elsewhere, so there's no point denying - this is by far the best comic book of 2012. Incredibly deep and layered storytelling by Snyder who somehow manages to outdo himself each time over. Capullo's dystopian world is addictively mesmerizing. And wait 'till you see Joker - he's so unnerving he'll make you flinch each time you see him.

Author of this article is co-founder of Comixette - a web based platform in development that will allow comics' artists and writers to actively participate in creating comic strips while the readers rate their efforts in real time.

Regardless, if the new user is aspiring comic strip artist, or already established author in 'off-line' World, both should start as equal and then build a reputation from scratch through the site community acclaim.

Through elaborate mechanism of rating the artistry and storytelling of each individual contribution to the narrative, every comic strip on Comixette can become virtually never-ending because each comic artist or writer can add changes to affect the narrative, leaving to the readers and peers to decide about the quality of the contribution.

Besides enabling anyone to upload their comics, Comixette is intended as a serious tool for top-level artists as well, as it provides safe print syndication and publishing service.

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New Opportunities for the Indie Comics Creator

Ten years or so ago, noted comic book writer Robert Kirkman left a nice job writing stories for Marvel, one of the leading corporations that publish comic book titles in America, to go after a career exclusively in creator-owned books. Back then, this was seen as a huge gamble. This is because independent comics creators have all of the risk that their titles will not sell enough, but working on corporate characters at Marvel and DC offers a solid, if not spectacular, rate. Kirkman has preached the gospel of independent comics for years now, his pitch carrying a lot more weight now that The Walking Dead, a title he had a hand in creating, has ended up being such a considerable ratings draw on television. And as digital comics market share develops, deciding to go independent might become even less of a gamble.

For many years, the hardest challenge for an indie comics creator was simply getting noticed by neighborhood comic book stores. The industry is strange in that one company has a monopoly on distribution, so retail shop owners normally get their new stock from one order form. To make matters worse, just two publishers are responsible for at least 75 percent of the market for print books, so you can imagine that the order book gives the primary focus to DC and Marvel. Sellers have to spend a lot of time to find independent titles in the order book. The average independent comics creator struggles to get the work in front of shop owners, let alone fans.

But that could be evolving as more and more comics are being sold for computers and tablets. On the web, independent writers and artists do not have to face the disadvantage of paying higher per-book print prices on smaller print runs. And there are many storefronts and sales tools sellers can utilize to sell their original work at favorable prices. Needless to say, the better known platforms will continue to cater to the big publishers, but the digital store is not as limited as the space in a physical store.

Nor is independent comics just for novices. Longtime creators including Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera have all in the past year announced their plan to start working on creator-owned titles, though not all of them will do independent work exclusively. The independent world allows all creators the option to profit or fail from their characters. Robert Kirkman believes the future lies in a world where comic book creators use the Big Two as a professional step, a learning center to practice their talent before switching to the (possibly) more profitable opportunities in the field of independent comics owned by creators. As the indie market grows, we can find out if his vision becomes the industry standard.

To learn more about being an indie comics creator, or to read independent digital comics, check out Longboat Comics, a micro publisher.