While 2020 wasn't the best year in every aspect, there were still plenty of great Marvel comics released throughout the year.
2020 has clearly been a bleak year for a variety of reasons. Across the spectrum of reasons to celebrate, there has been very little over the past year and, unfortunately, the advent of 2021 has left us reflecting on what has been an extremely difficult and busy year. The past year has been a mixed one for the comics industry.
While there's been a decent collection of comics released in the last nine months of 2020, most artists have seen their projects delayed month after month, or permanently put off into the new year. While this is certainly true of some of Marvel's biggest and best names, there's actually been a fair amount of incredible stories released over the past year. In a year that doesn't deserve much recognition, there are plenty of 2020 Marvel comics that deserve huge applause.
10 Doctor Doom
The solo pieces surrounding the Fantastic Four's greatest enemy, Dr. Victor von Doom, have never received much attention. Doom is widely regarded as one of Marvel's greatest villains with incredible story potential, but there have been some issues landing a solid Doom solo title.
That was until Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larroca came to power. In the latter stages of 2019, Cantwell and Larroca unveiled a new Doom tale in which the manic Doom sought to bring only a shred of good to the world while simultaneously wrestling with his pompous and villainous ego. Cantwell's story highlights the complexity of Doom's personality and stories up to this point, while Larroque's crisp and colorful artwork brings beautiful life to the character and the world around him.
9. Avengers
It's been nearly two years since famed Marvel writer Jason Aaron Thor, War of the Kingdoms, and star Wars ) took over the main title of the Avengers. He's brought together classic Avengers heroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, along with new teammates like She-Hulk and Ghost Rider, to create truly big-picture stories, along with a variety of art from some of the industry's top illustrators.
Aaron's The Avengers continued into 2020, effortlessly continuing to merge the stories and personalities of so many beloved heroes into one against some of their greatest villains. Now at 40 issues long, and while somehow balancing several other amazing games at the same time, Aaron has cemented his Avengers among the other legendary Mighty Heroes of Earth series.
8. Black Panther
Fans knew they were getting something special when famed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates assumed the title of Black Panther in 2018. Over the past two years, Coates and a host of incredibly talented illustrators have created one of the best T'Challa stories with the fairy tale "Wakanda's Intergalactic Empire."
Unfortunately, Black Panther Coates felt the brunt of 2020. He was originally set to end his time with T'Challa last year, allowing him to focus on his ongoing run. Captain America , but Coates instead saw his Wakanda epic pushed back to 2021. However, even with three issues released in 2020, Black Panther Coates has maintained her place as one of Marvel's top current projects.
7 Marvel's Snapshots
For the creative genius of Kurt Busik came the company Marvel's Snapshots. Told and illustrated by some of the best in the industry, these stories were created from the perspective of ordinary people existing in the universe among the greatest Marvel heroes.
With the names of The Avengers, Captain America, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Namor, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Civil War, "Marvel Pictures" gave a kind of behind-the-scenes look at the untold and otherwise meaningless stories of the Marvel Universe. These cover shots by the legendary Alex Ross are one of the best collective accomplishments of not only Marvel, but all comics in 2020.
6. Empyre
Another of Marvel's best collaborative efforts from last year was Al Ewing, Dan Slott, and Valerio Schiti's six-part Empyre plot. A massive summer crossover brought together two of Marvel's greatest teams, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, to thwart both terrestrial and galactic threats.
Ewing and Slott's story was also monumental in terms of the longstanding Kree-Skrull feud that ended years of war that raged across the galaxy. Empyre, was certainly an ambitious story with many moving parts, but overall it was an explosive crossover that paid tribute to, and in some cases completed, some of Marvel's most famous and beloved storylines and characters.
5. X-Men
Perhaps nothing more impressive has come from Marvel over the past year or two than Jonathan Hickman's reimagining of the X-Men universe. Through the second half of 2019, Hickman and his team have set a new standard for the mutant storyline with Home X and powers X.
Hickman's work on the flagship title X-Men started exactly where it ended House of X and Power of X , with incredible, intertwined stories running side by side with each other, and this new mutant world is getting bigger and bigger. Together with a brilliant group of artists at his side, Hickman has created one of the most vibrant and exciting universes comics has ever seen. While the different comics and the exact reading order of Hickman's X-Men can be a little confusing at times, this mystery is well worth solving and a must-read for any fan of Marvel's mutant world.
4 Daredevil
Throughout 2019 and 2020, Chip Zdarsky, Marco Cecchetto, Julian Tedesco and a number of other talented illustrators have masterfully worked on Daredevil. As in previous series with such legendary names as Frank Miller, Ed Brubaker and Brian Michael Bendis, "Daredevil» Zdarsky beautifully explores the often dark and harsh life of man without fear.
Zdarsky's Run addresses most of the standard pillars of any good comic about Daredevil , from villains and other characters to the interpersonal battles that Matt Murdock fights every day. Featuring so many other popular heroes and villains, this Daredevil run is as much an epic street-level dive into the Marvel Universe as Murdoch's own exploration. As in 2019, Daredevil Zdarsky has enjoyed success throughout 2020, quickly becoming another classic take on the Devil's Kitchen of Hell.
3 Immortal Hulk
Two years ago, Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and a host of other creative inspirations introduced the world to Immortal Hulk. Since then, the ongoing series has become not only a fan favorite, but an ongoing hit and an evergreen classic added to Marvel's extensive Hulk catalog.
Ewing's story masterfully dances the line between superhero thriller and harrowing horror, exploring the very depths of Jekyll and Hyde's relationship between Bruce Banner and the Hulk. While this is the main arc of any great Hulk story, Immortal Hulk does it in a completely unique and unsettling way. Bennett's cover perfectly complements the horror of Ewing's story, and once again Alex Ross offers a breathtaking cover. Immortal Hulk goes far beyond being one of the best comics of 2020, it may well have earned a place as one of the best Marvel projects of the past decade.
2. Thor
Some comic book writers have dominated the past few years, like Donnie Cates. From his work on Doctor Strange, Venom and Space Ghost Rider in 2018 to its flawless 2019 including passing Guardians of the Galaxy and venoma, as well as brilliantly creative Silver Surfer: Black and his unforgettable Absolute Massacre , Cates was almost invincible.
As dull as 2020 may seem, there has always been an incredibly bright and fresh Cates comic to get lost in. The year even became a completely new test for him in the form of a new run on Torah. Continuing work on Venom , Cates and his creative partners Nick Klein and Oliver Coipel - plus Aaron Kuder in two issues - offered a new take on the God of Thunder that allowed him to explore his duties as the newly minted King of Asgard and a loyal cosmic guardian. Before embarking on Cates' latest project, "The king in blackworth taking the time to see the incredible work he has done on Thor.
1. X Of Swords
Some of the spin-off stories that followed Hickman's recreation of the X-Men universe, such as "Marauders» or "Excalibur", proved to be just as great, if not better, than the flagship series itself.
However, the greatest proof of this is X of Swords. From Hickman and a host of other fantastic collaborators such as Tiny Howard, Benjamin Percy, Zeb Wells, Pepe Larraz and many more, this 22-part epic reveals even more depth to Hickman's new universe. This explosive crossover is definitely one of Marvel's greatest additions to the dreadful 2020 and probably the best branching story to have happened in Hickman's time with the X-Men.
