Category Archives: BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Runners-up for 2023’s book of the year

Posted on March 7, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

While ultimately no comic could top Shubeik Lubeik as Gotham Calling’s book of the year, there were strong contenders I left out but which I think deserve highlighting anyway… Now, I haven’t been reading as much as I used to, … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged A Guest in the House, Annette Kwok, Arif Prianto, Benoit Dahan, Brad Simpson, Cyril Lieron, Daniel Clowes, Emily Carroll, Felipe Sobreiro, Gene Ha, Gospel, Hi-Fi, horror, Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes, Jock, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Local Man, Monica, Nicola Scott, Phil Jimenez, Romulo Fajardo Jr, Sherlock Holmes, Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Wesley Wong, Will Morris, Wonder Woman | Leave a comment

2023’s book of the year

Posted on December 27, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Before delving into Gotham Calling’s pick for book of the year, I tend to briefly highlight comics that didn’t earn such dubious title because, although awesome in their own way, they’re too distant from the kind of genre narratives this … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Blood of the Virgin, Charles Soule, Craig Thompson, Deena Mohamed, Eight Billion Genies, Paul Cornell, politics, Ryan Browne, Sammy Harkham, science fiction, Shubeik Lubeik, Steve Yeowell, Three Little Wishes, Will Eisner, Your Wish Is My Command | Leave a comment

2022’s book of the year

Posted on February 2, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

I read less comics than usual in 2022 – especially new stuff – so the pool for Gotham Calling’s book of the year was somewhat limited. Like last time, the one graphic novel that was bound to be the strongest … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Bryan Talbot, Catwoman, Cliff Chiang, Frank Miller, Gotham City, Luther Arkwright | Leave a comment

On Tunnels

Posted on March 31, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

When I chose The Department of Truth as Gotham Calling’s 2021 Book of the Year, I made a point of stressing that I still hadn’t managed to read Rutu Modan’s Tunnels, which was bound to be one of my favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Joe Sacco, politics, Rutu Modan, Tunnels | Leave a comment

2021’s book of the year

Posted on January 13, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

First, a disclaimer: Rutu Modan’s latest graphic novel, Tunnels, has been translated to English and published by Drawn & Quarterly last year… and whenever a new Modan book comes out, the chances of it being my favorite comic of that … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Aditya Bidikar, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Stewart, Department of Truth, Dylan Todd, Elsa Charretier, EPHK, horror, James Harren, James Tynion IV, Juni Ba, Martin Simmonds, Matt Hollingsworth, politics, Roman Titov, Rus Wooton, science fiction, Tyler Boss, Ultramega | Leave a comment

2020’s books of the year: honorable mentions – part 4

Posted on March 25, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

If you read last weeks’ posts, you know what’s going on. Here is a final batch of 2020 comics worth tracking down… WAR ON TERROR: GODKILLERS Collecting a five-issue mini-series, Godkillers has the kind of ridiculous and ultimately tasteless … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Al Ewing, Godkillers, Hernan Cabrera, horror, John Allison, Laura Allred, Maan House, Mariasara Miotti, Mark Russell, Mark Sable, Max Sarin, Mike Allred, politics, science fiction, Simone Di Meo, Stephen Byrne, War on Terror, We Only Find Them When They're Dead, Whitney Cogar, Wicked Things, Wonder Twins, X-Ray Robot | Leave a comment

2020’s books of the year: honorable mentions – part 3

Posted on March 18, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

If you read last weeks’ posts, you know what’s going on. Here are another five comics that came out in 2020 and feature neat takes on adventure, crime, horror, espionage, mystery, war, science fiction, and/or the occasional hero with bizarre … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Adam Strange, Alessandro Miracolo, Bob Q, Bryce Ingman, Chelsea Cain, Clayton Cowles, Cold War, Conan, Craig Rousseau, Elise McCall, Evan Shaner, Fran Strukan, Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows, Jason Aaron, Jim Rugg, Joe Caramagna, John Layman, Lia Miternique, Mark Russell, Mitch Gerads, Octobriana, politics, Punisher, Rachelle Rosenberg, Red Sonja, science fiction, Spy Island, Stella Greenvoss, Strange Adventures, sword & sorcery, Tom King | Leave a comment

2020’s books of the year: honorable mentions – part 2

Posted on March 11, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

If you read last week’s post, you know what’s going on. Here are another handful of cool comics that came out in 2020: BOY MAXIMORTAL Rather than an iconoclastic anomaly, R-rated super(anti)heroes have become a staple of mainstream pop … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Alan Hebden, Battle Action, Carlos Ezquerra, Death Squad, Decorum, Deron Bennett, Eric Bradbury, Far Sector, Grant Morrison, Green Lantern, horror, Jack Kirby, Jamal Campbell, Jonathan Hickman, Katie Skelly, Maids, Maximortal, Mike Costa, Mike Huddleston, N.K. Jemisin, politics, Rick Veitch, Rus Wooton, Sasha E Head, science fiction, space opera, Stan Lee, Tom Scioli, World War II | Leave a comment

2020’s books of the year: honorable mentions – part 1

Posted on March 4, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

Doing a list often involves leaving out a lot of good stuff and this was certainly the case with Gotham Calling’s 2020 books of the year… Some great comics didn’t make it to the list because they didn’t fulfil the … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Abraham STone, Aco, American Ronin, Axel Alonso, BANG!, Batman's personality, Big Girls, Brian Michael Bendis, Dave Stewart, David Lorenzo, Dean White, espionage, Jason Howard, Joe Kubert, Matt Kindt, Nick Derington, Peter Milligan, politics, science fiction, Warren Ellis, western, Wilfredo Torres | 1 Comment

2020’s books of the year – part 5

Posted on February 4, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

If you read last weeks’ posts, you know what’s going on. Here are Gotham Calling’s top four books of 2020: 4. WHO KILLED JIMMY OLSEN? The original Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen series (1954-1974), about the wacky misadventures of the … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Chrissy Williams, Clayton Cowles, Dan Mora, David Lapham, Fernando Argüello, Grant Morrison, Hedra, horror, Jack Kirby, Jason Lutes, Jeff Stokely, Jesse Lonergan, Jim Rossignol, Kieron Gillen, Loud!, Ludocrats, Maria Llovet, Matt Fraction, Nathan Fairbairn, Nick Spencer, René Goscinny, science fiction, Sergio Serrano, Steve Lieber, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Tamra Bonvillain | Leave a comment