Behold! The Best Single Issues of 2012:

15. Before Watchmen: Minutemen #4

Darwyn Cooke is very possibly one of the best creators in the industry, and by signing up for Before Watchmen, he knew what he was in for. But he didn’t walk into the room empty handed. He had a story in his back pocket that he felt entirely confident about; one that would shut up any critics, and this was the issue where he, after slow reveals, starting dropping his hammer, and created a comic book story that will definitely be remembered.

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14. Fury MAX #6

In truth, almost any issue of Fury MAX could be on this list. It’s one of the most consistently well made comic books coming out from the big 2. It’s one that everyone on the staff agrees is simply as good as it gets, and is as close to the perfect project for Garth Ennis to be working on, and Goran Parlov is his perfect partner. This one in particular takes Fury to the fascinating landscape of revolutionary Cuba in the 60s, and crosses that with the great treatise on men in war, at which Ennis is just so good.

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13. Sixth Gun #21

Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt took up the silent issue challenge on this one, just like the famous silent G.I. Joe #21. In this one, Becky Montcrief sets out to rescue Drake Sinclair from the stronghold of the Knights of Solomon, much like Snake Eyes before her. These guys know what they’re doing, and taking the words out only served to showcase it even more so. Brian Hurtt really got a chance to shine on this one, with beautiful design and world building, on top of dynamic, but crystal clear storytelling.

12. Wolverine and the X-Men #17

This is the first Jason Aaron book on this list. That says something in and of itself, but none are like the others. In this issue, Aaron teamed with fan favorites Mike and Laura Allred to explore a character who has never uttered a single word: Doop. We find out, with hilarious detail, just what that little boogers deal is, and it’s much more imaginative than anyone even imagined.

11. Chew #30

A good storyteller knows that the audience needs to get jerked around. If you’re made to love something, you must be also made to feel that loss. In this issue, Layman and Guillory jerk us around big time, just because we had the temerity to really enjoy reading about Toni Chu. You’ll have to read it to what happened, but if you did read it, you’ll never trust this creative team with your heart again.

10. Spider-Men #4

When it started, no one thought Spider-Men would end up being one of the most emotional and cathartic series of the year. While it sounded like a gimmick that they said they’d never do, it ended up being a great collection of moments with two characters who we know very well, and are related, but who have never met. Bendis has the Spider-Men’s numbers, and Sara Pichelli has never done a bit of wrong.

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9. Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #2

Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, and dinosaurs with jetpacks.

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8. Hawkeye #6

These pages are as impressive as pages get. Matt Fraction and David Aja have taken the superhero comic book formula, and broken it, with the absolute best results. All the issues have been exemplary, but with Hawkeye #6, they took it even a step further. It was gorgeous, charming, and utterly unique. How this is a Marvel comic book, I couldn’t tell you, but I’m very happy it is.

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7. Stumptown #4

This series already has an Eisner, but that didn’t stop them from pushing the envelope a bit further. This one is all about the car chase. It feels like a car chase in a way that few comic books ever have. Greg Rucka laid the groundwork, and Matt Southworth ran with the ball, working together to turn in an issue that was an experience. From great storytelling, to fresh layouts, and even a bit of page twisting, it was a straight up triumph.

6. Fantastic Four #604

The “great long run” is one of the crown jewels for comic creators, and with this issue, Jonathan Hickman ended his first big one. Over three years, Hickman and a fabulous team of artists restored the first family to their righteous place. He changed almost everything except the core values of what make the Fantastic Four so important to Marvel Comics. Then, to top it all off, and perhaps most importantly, he stuck the landing, delivering a heartfelt conclusion to the massive tapestry he had woven.

5. Thor: God of Thunder #1

This is how you start a new era of Thor. Once more Jason Aaron showcases his incredible talent to flit between genres, at the same time teaming up on the book that Esad Ribic and Dean White were born to render. We’re instantly sucked in by a tale of three Thors in three different times, threatened by an actual new, and get this, threatening villain, the God Butcher. It hooked us on multiple levels, and left everyone at iFanboy clamoring for more.

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4. The Shade #4

The “Times Past” issues of Starman were always showcases for exceptional talent, and James Robinson kept that going by bringing on Darwyn Cooke to draw this tale of the past in his Shade series. But while it obviously looks great, the issue was also just a lot of fun, teaming Shade with Vigilante, an often forgotten DC hero, who Robinson had written in the past. If there are two guys who know superhero period pieces and reviving characters thought past their prime, Cooke and Robinson are they. Plus they had the stellar support team of J. Bone and Dave Stewart to finish things up pretty. It was a highlight of a series that was a highlight in itself.

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3. Batman #5

The easy thing about this one is that I remember reading it, and instantly thinking I’d found my first addition to this list, almost 12 months ago. Scott Snyder came close to breaking both the reader and Batman in this inventive issue. The further Batman went into the labyrinth, the more we twisted the actual book around, and around and around we went until we figured out the trick. It was a great character piece, but it was also an ingenious way of using the comic book form to do something new.

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2. Scalped #60

Closing out five years of a series with a solid ending is not an easy thing, especially when it’s a series so beloved by its readers. Both Jason Aaron (third appearance) and RM Guera took this task very seriously, and found the perfect note to end things on. With the bulk of the action concluded in #59, this functioned as a “where are they now” and “where are they going”, and even then there are no easy answers. Like the ending of the series as a whole, it was a little bittersweet, but by the time they got to it, the creators knew exactly what the issues needed, and they delivered.

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1. Saga #1

If it wasn’t so unbelievably good, I’d be tired of talking about it. Brian K. Vaughan returned to comics, and he did it with a verve and gusto that we expected and then some. Saga is unmistakably born from the mind of Vaughan, in that it’s completely new and also completely familiar. He’s working in a genre that we haven’t seen in his past work, at least not like this, but the characters are all instantly knowable, and the world we don’t know is a complete joy to discover. In introducing us to Alanna and Marko, nearly everyone who read this first issue signed up for the long haul, due in no small part to Fiona Staples’ expansive artwork, and sublime characterizations. It could have gone any possible way, but it went the best possible way. Plus the first issue was only the start. Every issue has been ask interesting, as vibrant, and as wonderful, but this was the one that started it all.

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