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Creators' Year in Review Part 3: Older Comics We Read in 2024

Sometimes, you just need to remember where you came from.

Cover by Tim Sale.

One of the pieces I most looked forward to at the end of every year was Multiversity's Creators' Year in Review. Brian, the man behind the curtain, would send out questions to comics creators all the around the comics world and come back with a list of answers that was every bit as eclectic as the people answering them. You never knew what comics or other creators would be reified en masse and which ones would bubble up from the underground, catching you completely off guard.

It was fun and I always got some excellent recommendations.

As is my wont, I wanted to fill that hole with my own Creators' Year in Review. and that's what you're reading now! Thank you to everyone who responded, whether that was to say they were so swamped they couldn't make it this year or whether they gave me five mini essays to format. Y'all are great!

So. Five Questions. Five Posts. Halfway there!

What older comics did you read in 2024?

Rodrigo Vargas (“The Do-Over,” “Walking to Do”): I mostly read older comics. I took the time to read Grant Morrison’s “X-men” run, Andi Watson’s “The Book Tour,” Adrian Tomine’s “Shortcomings” and Mary Shyne’s “Get Over It.” But I’ve recently been reading “One Piece” and I have to say after trying to watch the anime and not caring for it for different reasons, the manga feels much more enjoyable.

Evan Dahm (“3rd Voice,” “Island Book”): I read a whole bunch of Masashi Tanaka's wordless comic "Gon"; absolute masterpiece. I read several early issues of "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight" that are probably among the best superhero comics I have read in my life. I read "Shuna's Journey," the recently-published 80s Hayao Miyazaki thing that was beautiful but somewhat embryonic-feeling. I just read all of my friend Meredith's comic "Octopus Pie" and I think it is maybe the first Great Work entirely native to the webcomics tradition.

Sebastian Girner (“The Dead and the Damned,” “Scales and Scoundrels”): My new job actually has me reading a lot of old comics, which has been neat. I read through all of the early EC Weird Science and Weird Fantasy books and it’s crazy how influential those few issues were on the long term development of genre fiction across the 20th century. My three year old has also taken a liking to Chris Ware’s ‘Jimmy Corrigan’ and I often see him pouring over the tiny panels. Chris should really consider doing a children’s book. His sprawling style is perfect for it. While reading my kid often asks me “Why is the man so sad?” and then I’m not sure what to say. But then he quickly turns to a page with trains or where Jimmy is sitting on the toilet and giggles. Comics are magical.

Harry Bogosian (“A Better Place,” “Angel’s Orchard”): I've been re-reading a lot of “Yotsuba&!” to my son, and in the process deeply enjoying the quality of the storytelling and art. Afterwards I'll find myself paying more attention to things like a kettle boiling, or enjoying his shenanigans, or just being aware of the world around us as a "character." It really is a timeless manga.

Thom Zahler (“Love and Capes,” “Time & Vine”): I got the first volume of the “Rom” omnibus, which I’d only read a couple of issues of when it came out. It’s really peak Bronze Age storytelling. You can see Bill Mantlo just throwing stuff around and seeing what sticks, and putting an amazing amount of effort into this random toyline. I mean, science fiction aliens who use magic, that’s awesome by itself, regardless of everything else with Rom and his humanity, the Spaceknights backstory, and playing in the Marvel Universe as a whole.

And I finally got a copy of “Shazam From The 40s to the 70s.” Those Fawcett stories are just so charming, and Kurt Schaffenberger drew so perfectly and cleanly.

Pat Shand (“Destiny, NY,” “Private Dance”): “Chi's” is older at this point, I suppose, I think it stopped publishing in the 2000s, but that was new to me. I go back to Terry Moore's library a lot. I'm reading more older than brand new I guess. I'm reading a lot of 90s-2010s. I'm reading almost all independent these days, and that right there is a hell of an era.

Ryan Holmberg (“The Translator without Talent,” Translator for Yoshiharu Tsuge Library): Old horror manga

Taylor Robin (“Never Satisfied,” “Hunger's Bite”): “Welcome to St. Hell” by Lewis Hancox. I guess 2022 isn't that much older, but I got to meet Lewis this year at NYCC when we were both on the same panel about book banning and he gave me a copy, and I really enjoyed it as a trans man. It was nice meeting and chatting with another trans dude in the scene. There's plenty of us online, but it's different hanging out in person.

Zach Weinersmith (“Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal,” “A City on Mars”): “Logicomix,” “Lovelace and Babbage,” and “The Rabbi's Cat” are always worth another read.

Tri Vuong (“Lego Ninjago: Garmadon,” “The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn”): “Cross Game” by Mitsuru Adachi and "Sand Land" by Akira Toriyama.

Cover by Akira Toriyama.

Blue Delliquanti (“O Human Star”, “Across a Field of Starlight”): At some point this year I was lent a whole bunch of graphic novels from DC's Minx imprint, and what a fascinating slice of aughts publishing that was! That included work by artists I'm glad we saw more of, including Sophie Campbell and Aaron Alexovich.

Recently rereleased in North America is a collection of work by the late Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, whose character Handala remains a symbol of resistance for Palestinians to this day.

I also wrapped up my reread of “Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou” (Hitoshi Ashinano) as released by Seven Seas - after the initial read on a scanlation site fundamentally informed my storytelling sensibilities back in the day, it was a treat to hold print volumes in my hand.

Grover (“Deeply Dave,” “Jake Spooky and the Wolves Within”): Peanuts.” It's incredible how well some of those old “Peanuts” strips hold up. I am especially enamored with 1960s-era “Peanuts,” when Schulz had really mastered the interpersonal dynamics of the characters, and Peppermint Patty was introduced.

Here are a couple that are less old, but older than 2024, which I enjoyed reading this year: “Hungry Ghost” (Victoria Ying) and “Cuckoo” (Joe Sparrow.)

Meredith McClaren (“Black Cloak,” “Hinges”): Ehhh... haven't had much time to pick up old favorites this year.

Kay Davault (“Misfit Mansion,” “Oddity Woods”): Not sure how old it is, but I've been slowly collecting volumes of “The Girl from the Other Side” by Nagabe. Hoping to eventually have them all as I find them in stores.

Joe Corallo (“Dahlia in the Dark,” “The Never-Ending Party”): So many! I really try to read about four comics, or the equivalent of four floppies, a day to stay on top of things. Some months ago I picked up a lot of “Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children” and have been working my way through those. I’ve also worked my way through the “Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Rising” compendium and revisited quite a number of “Legion of Super-Heroes” comics with highlights including “Earth War,” “The Universo Project,” and “Legion Lost.” Quite a few “Golden Romance” romance and horror comics were read too!

Michael Moreci (“Barbaric,” “Dick Tracy”): I've been reading a lot of Brubaker stuff, “Fatale” in particular, and I read a lot of old “Dick Tracy” strips (for obvious reasons). Those old stories are sometimes so damn weird, and I love that.

Petra Nordlund (“Prague Race,” “Tiger Tiger”): I returned back to a very old favourite of mine, “Gaspard De La Nuit” by Johan de Moor. I don't know if there's an English translation of it, but it's one of those weird European comics that, when I first read it when I was twelve it kind of rooted itself into my brain and I have been carrying it ever since. The eerie, strange world left me with a feeling I'm still trying to replicate with my own work!

Mike Henderson (“Nailbiter,” “The Forged”): I’ve been doing (an incredibly slow) reread of Geoff Darrow’s “Hard Boiled” and “Shaolin Cowboy” volumes. Tremendous stuff to pore over for hours at once.

François Vigneault (“Titan,” “Orcs in Space”): With the untimely and sad passing of the cartoonist Bernie Mireault this year I revisited his “The Jam” comics which made a big impression on me back in the 1990s. These are quirky, funny, raw, and yes, occasionally dated comics that follow a "realistic" hero in a way that was well ahead of its time. A great and underrated cartoonist who's worth checking out.

Boum (“The Jellyfish,” “Boumeries”): I finally got to read some of Osamu Tezuka’s work for adults, “The Book of Human Insects,” from 1970-71. It was very interesting and strange, although a bit uneven, but an important read to better understand Tezuka’s influence on modern manga.

Coni Yovaniniz (“The Do-Over,” “Walking to Do”): In 2024 I finally got to read CLAMP’s sci-fi manga “Clover!” I had always wanted to read it, so when I ran into the newest omnibus I had to pick it up. It was really underwhelming to find out AFTER I got the book that the manga was actually never finished, but I still enjoyed the artwork and composition.

Vera Greentea (“Grimoire Noir,” “The Idols of Solanşehir”): I really loved “The Moth Keeper” by K. O’Neill, and found myself idly paging through it a few times this year. It’s such a warm read, thoughtfully following a young woman as she accepts her destiny to become her village’s Moth Keeper, only to find that she may not be up to the task. The art is compelling and cozy, and I found it to be a comfort read.

Reed Hinckley-Barnes (“Hero of Legend,” Letterer on “Wild Wisps”): “V for Vendetta” absolutely kicked my ass this year when I reread it. Feels just as vital and important as it did when it was published. And it has the honor of being the only book that had my crying on public transit. I also read a ton of Manga! Though I only read the last 4th of it in 2024, “Berserk” deserves a special shout out for being a book that I now think about at least once a week and probably will for the rest of my life.

Zach Clemente (Bulgilhan Press): I typically re-read "A Drifting Life" by Yoshihiro Tatsumi on an annual schedule and this year was no different. Each year I fall more in love with it.

Vimeddiee (“Under the Aegis,” “The Ocean Soul”): I re-read Hamletmachine's "Starfighter," and went back to my ol' faithful "All Star Superman" for a pick-me-up (it's been a rough year haha.)

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