So before we get into it, a few thoughts on some comics not on my list.
Detective Comics – I really loved Tony Daniel as the writer/artist of this flagship Batman title. He really captured the dark Batman style that is my favorite type of Batman. 2012 just wasn’t as great as 2011, at times it felt like the story was being forced.
Aquaman and Justice League – I’m still reading these series but they took a big downward turn in 2012. It feels like Geoff Johns ( the writer for both series and a DC Executive) is being overworked. The majority of 2012 for both series was eaten up by story arcs I really didn’t like. I kept reading hoping the next arc was coming soon.
America’s Got Powers – I really enjoyed reading this series. Then I realized it was almost exactly like the X-Men!
And now on to my actual favorites!
Ame-Comi Girls
In this series all the DC superheroes and supervillians are women. It’s not a social commentary, if anything it’s a tad more exploitative than a normal comic these days. But it’s a ton of fun. When all the other comics are trying to be dark, serious and important it’s nice to read one that’s simply fun. There’s plenty of great action, over-the top characters, quip-trading, and somewhat silly plots to keep us entertained.
Lookouts
This is just so pretty. This comic is about a troop of young boys who live in the woods. The Lookouts are like boy scouts except that they are learning how to defend their village from mythical monsters. The forest and creatures look amazing. The adventure and danger of the story feels like something a child would imagine playing in their backyard.
Saga
This is my favorite comic ever. It was advertised as the next Stars Wars and lives up to that hype. Saga has a fully realized sci-fi universe that is populated with memorable characters, species, places, and histories. But it’s more like a cross between Star Wars and Game of Thrones. It’s a great fantasy story that’s not afraid to show the dark side of the universe it takes place in.
Wolverine and the X-Men
This is my favorite ongoing X-Men series. Seeing Wolverine and some of the other original Ultimate X-Men run a school shows some interesting depth to their characters. The newer characters they’ve brought in as students are also more interesting than some of the other X-Men that have came and went. Also, this is the only current X-Men title that I’ve read that didn’t have an incredibly stupid story arc sometime in 2012.