2014 has been an incredible year for the comic book creator; more and more creators have edged out more control in an industry that has routinely bowed to capes and tights. With Marvel and DC making efforts to differentiate their offerings, they still are having trouble keeping up with the incredible new series being launched by the creator owned world. So without further adieu, here are Eric Switzer’s best new series of 2014.

#10 Alex + Ada

I have a really soft spot for “Alex + Ada”, the story about a guy who risks his life to give sentience to his robot girlfriend.  It’s kind of slow, and definitely really wordy, but it deals with so many interesting themes and raises a lot of moral questions.  It reminds me of the classic sci-fi stories from Ray Bradbury that I grew up on.  It has a lot in common with her, so if you liked that film, you find a lot to like about “Alex + Ada”

#9 Dark Engine

“Dark Engine” is a fantasy book by Ryan Burton and John Bivens about a doomed society in the future that creates the ultimate killing machine and sends her back in time to save them before it is too late.  “Dark Engine” is rich and expansive and, although there is a bit of a learning curve, it is an expansive and completely original story.  It doesn’t always make a lot of sense, but this book is just so utterly other that you can’t help but get sucked in

#8 The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Last year Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa blew us away with his Hard-R revamping of the Archie Franchise with “Afterlife with Archie #1”.  This year Roberto and Robert Hack bring us another stunning reinvention with “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”.  Only one issue has been released thus far delivering a new, darker origin story, but it’s safe to say “Sabrina” will be an equally huge hit.  Roberto is making big things happen at Archie (including next years “Archie” by Mark Waid and Fiona Fucking Staples) and you are going to want to be a part of all of it.

#7 Wytches

Scott Snyder’s first ongoing series at Image is a horror title called “Wytches” created with past collaborator Jock.  “Wytches” has already been optioned for a film, so get wise and get it on this book early because it is fantastically creepy.  Scott has always been methodical with his plotting, as you may know from his extra long arcs on “Batman”, and Wytches is no exception.  There is a really interesting balance between the archetypes and contributions to the witch legend.  Everything these guys do is magic.

#6 Intersect

This book is bat shit bananas crazy and I am completely transfixed by it.  Ray Fawkes is handling all the heavy lifting here to deliver the us into a terrifying world that exists only in the deep dark recesses of his twisted mind.  The book is a fever dream involving a dying city, transforming bodies, and freaky riddle repeated ad nauseum.  This book stands out the most on this list for its abstract and expressive art.  Unrestricted by panels, the images flow into each other and at most merely suggest form.  It is a beautifully dark book and one I think everyone should take a look at.

#5 Nailbiter

Hannibal fans will be enthralled by this gruesome horror-noir.  “Nailbiter” by Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson is the best ongoing horror comic this year.  16 serial killers have come out of Buckaroo, Oregon, and Agent Finch wants to know why.  The book is deliciously gruesome and a must read for any kind of horror fan.  Every issue delivers a new kind of madness, and “Nailbiter” shows no signs of slowing down.

#4 Robocop

This book is Nostalgia on ecstasy.  Joshua Williamson and Carlos Magno have dedicated themselves to matching the original films tone and style perfectly.  This “Robocop” reads like a sequel to the first movie, and just nails it week after week.  Its all over the top violence and diabolical villains with just enough 80s humor to feel like the real deal.  This IS your daddy’s Robocop, and you’ll be glad it is.

#3 Southern Bastards

Jason Aaron and Jason Latour’s “Southern Bastards” an intimate portrayal of culture and corruption in a small southern town.  Its a bit “Dirty Harry” and a little Coen Brothers.  I think it is the most violent book of 2014, not necessarily in depictions of violence, but in tone.  The blood red pages are so full of rage and desperation and the characters, though archetypal, display the most incredible conviction, even the villains deserve respect.  Southern Bastards is dense read, but a really fantastic story.

#2 The Fade Out

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have been writing crime comics together for a long time, and “The Fade Out” just might be their best work.  It is deeply nostalgic and unapologetically hard-boiled, but these guys are such masters that they stopped imitating a long time ago and became just as relevant to the genre as Chandler, Hammet, and Bogey ever were.  “The Fade Out” is just about as good as it gets for any comic, and if you aren’t reading it you are really missing out.

#1 Sex Criminals

From the comic dynamos Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, “Sex Criminals” is a hysterically funny and emotionally honest exploration of sex and relationships in the millennial generation.  Suze and her boyfriend Jon discover they both have grown up with the ability to stop time with an orgasm and discover how financially beneficial their powers may be.   It is silly and crass, but also tender and relatable.  Matt and Chip might shake their fists (or dicks) at me, but I think “Sex Criminals” makes a significant statement for literary legitimacy in the monthly comic format.

—

Eric Switzer  is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles.  His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality.  He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.