In the comic book industry, 2015 was more of the same, and that's a good thing.

More talented writers and artists teamed up with independent publishers, where they produced flashy, stellar works. At juggernauts DC and Marvel, there were more epic crossover events, culminating with each company rebooting its comic book universe and pushing it in new directions. Across the industry, there were more stories featuring nonwhite and female gunslingers, kaijus, Hulks, Thors, Spider-People, and Captain Americas — a sign that pop culture discussions of race, feminism, and diversity — conversations that began a few years ago — aren't just fads.

There were also more outstanding comic books — more than last year, and more than the year before. The overall quality of the medium is better than it's ever been, and more types of stories are being told. From world-crushing cataclysmic events to spy thrillers to a planetary prison for women behaving badly to a Muslim American girl who just wants a date — the subjects of 2015's best comic books were as disparate as the writers, artists, colorists, and letterers who created them.

Choosing 12 comic books from a year full of excellent ones was a difficult task. But here are my favorites from 2015: