Catholic Skywalker Awards: Best in Comics 2024

 With 2024 coming to a close, it is time for us to choose what the best entertainment of the year was.  And just as the Academy Awards have their "Oscars, " so too the Catholic Skywalker Awards have their "Kal-El's"

Now, if you are new to this blog you may be wondering why a blog called Catholic Skywalker would choose a Superman statue as it's award, and not something from Star Wars.   The reasons are 3-fold:

1.  The Catholic Skywalker Awards will cover movies, television, and comic books.  Superman is an icon for all three.

2.  The pose he has here, revealing his inner hero, is symbolic of the revelation of truth and beauty that we should find in all good art.

3.  It's a statue I actually own, so I can use this photo on my blog.

Catholic Skywalker: Best in Comics:

Best Series

Flash Gordon

If you had told me a year ago that a Flash Gordon comic book from a small publisher like Mad Cave Studios would be the best series of the year, I would not have believed you.  That is until you told me that it was written by Jeremy Adams.

One of the things that sets Adams apart as a writer is his clear sense of love for the characters.  He loves Flash Gordon and he is not trying to do an ironic, post-modern deconstruction of the character.  He is trying to show the audience what makes Flash so awesome.  

And it is because of this that we can trust Adams to take the story in unexpected directions.  The series begins after the Mongo War and Flash wakes up to find himself trapped on a prison planet with little memory of what has transpired since.  Flash reminds me so much of Hal Jordan when written by Geoff Johns: the kind of man who will take a 100-to-1 shot because the alternative is certain death.

Will Conrad's art is also top notch.  He makes the worlds look completely alien while imbuing them with all of the important emotional content.  Each issue is a joy to read.  If you haven't piked up this series, do so soon.

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Green Lantern

Rook: Exodus

Fantastic Four

Redcoat

Best Mini-Series

Destro

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Absolute Power

Best One-Shot or Graphic Novel

DC ALL-IN #1

Coming out of the long Absolute Power storyline, this is the new launching point for the new Absolute universe, but also it brings together the Justice League in a new way.

The story was big, bold, and exciting.  Normally I'm not a fan of gimmicks, but the double-sided comic worked because it thematically and literally shows the flip-side to everything that is happening.  It does a great job of setting up interest in the stories to come.  The battles are visually spectacular with art by Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig, and Dan Mora.  Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder do a great job of laying the foundation of the world that is to come.  A great deal of fun to read.

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BZRKR: A Face Full of Bullets

Best Single Issue

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #12

Many years ago, Geoff Johns was writing Justice Society of America.  When he left, his final issue revolved around a silly subplot of Stargirl getting her braces removed.  But in the end, she didn't.  I always took this to mean that he wasn't finished with her story and that she would remain frozen in time, just like his real-life late sister.  

But in this story, we see Stargirl get her braces off and graduating.  This sounds like such a small thing in a grand superhero comic.  But there was something truly moving and sad about watching Courtney grow up.  I was there at the very beginning several decades ago when she came onto the scene.  At first I did not like here because of her complete immaturity.  But like most teenagers, she grew up into a fine person.  

This comic felt like real goodbye by Johns and I couldn't help get emotional.  It also hit me hard that this is the first time I've seen Jack Knight in a comic since his series ended.  I know that there is talk of doing a revival series with him, but to see that Johns (and I can only assume with the blessing of James Robinson), brought Jack back to be with her in this final story...  perfection.

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Best Artist

Best Artist

Jason Fabok (Rook: Exodus)

Rook: Exodus is one of the best books out there.  This highly-imaginative world is brought to life by Jason Fabok's fantastic art.  The world feels modern, but savage.  It is such an interesting confluence of high and low technology.  All of this draws you in because of Fabok's fabulous art.  Just like with his amazing work in The Three Jokers, you can feel the weight in all of his art, as if was in three dimensions and tactile to the touch.  He is able to make that which is dingy and bleak look beautiful in its own way.

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Gary Frank: Geiger

Bryan Hitch: Redcoat

Best Writer

Best Writer

Jeremy Adams (Green Lantern, Flash Gordon)

I wrote last year that Jeremy Adams is currently one of my favorite writers working in comics.

That is still true today.

I already wrote about how wonderful Flash Gordon is, but his Green Lantern is probably the best it has been since Geoff Johns was on the book.  Adams knows how to write Hal in a way that feels authentic to what has come before while taking him in new directions.  And like Johns, he is expanding the lore and the universe.

One of the things that I like about how Adams writes is that he finds the human core in all of us, both the good and the bad.  When Carol Ferris' fiancee takes a turn towards the villainous, not only do you feel his heartbreak but you can also understand why he feels that life has cheated him.  

Adams is able to play things at a cosmic scale while not losing sight of the human drama that keeps us hooked.  

On a personal note, I got to meet him this summer at convention and he is the nicest guy in the world.  It is wonderful to know that talent and kindness are not mutually exclusive.  

RUNNERS UP
Tom Taylor: Nightwing, Titans, Detective Comics
Mark Waid: World's Finest: Batman/Superman, Absolute Power
Geoff Johns: Geiger, Redcoat, Rook: Exodus, Justice Society of America, Hyde Street