Decapitated Dan's Best of 2014: Comics

 Well it’s the end of the year, and what better way to recap it than by making a list! So check out what I liked best in 2014!
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Writer of the Year: Justin Jordan
Now where did this guy come from? Horror Comic writing Heaven? Jordan wowed me originally in 2014 with his 4 issue story arc in Crossed: Badlands. Then he goes and follows that up with a book that will hopefully be on this list next year, Spread, which would hands down be on this list in a front runner spot, but I want to make sure I know which category to put it into first. By the way... READ SPREAD. So that should be sufficient enough right? Two solid books, but no... Jordan then goes back to Crossed and delivers unto me the 2014 Special (which also features my 2014 Artist choice) and now I get to enjoy Dark Gods. I mean COME ON MAN! I can only make so much money each month. Loving what he is doing, and I know this is only the start of what is to come.

Honorable Mentions: Terry Moore, Mark Kidwell, Mike Wolfer

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Artist of the Year: Fernando Heinz
When Stitched ended this year I was really sad. Wolfer was killing it on the story, but Heinz was delivering some of the most GORE-Geous artwork around with the interiors and covers. But then he disappeared. . . and I was lost, I mean to be this top spot you need to have at least more then one book for me to go by. As the year went on though Heinz came back strong with some more amazing covers for Crossed, did some backup stories in God is Dead and then teamed up with my Writer of the Year Justin Jordan for the Crossed Special. I will beg and plead with all comic companies to see more of his work in 2014, it's just so damn delicious!

Honorable Mentions: Michael DiPascale, Gustavo Duarte, Juan Ferreyra, Kyle Charles

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Horror Publisher of the Year: Avatar Press
BACK TO BACK WINNER!!! 
I don't think there was an Avatar book in 2014 that I did not read. Stitched, Crossed, Caliban, Rover Red Charlie, God is Dead, Dark Gods, War Stories, Extinction Parade and last but not least Über. I mean come on man, I missed what like what 1 title with that list? Just go up and down my 2014 list and you will see how strong I felt Avatar was this year. They are just delivering on such a high level right now. It's no surprise to see them at the top of this list again.

Honorable Mentions:  IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics

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Best Ongoing: Rachel Rising
BACK TO BACK WINNER!!!
So let's just repeat what I said last year: "If you want to talk about the BEST COMIC BOOK IN PRINT, you need to look no further then Rachel Rising. Every issue of this series just keeps getting better. Every character in the book is written so well I root for them all. Terry Moore is able to recap, progress and nail you with a cliffhanger in every single issue. It's just plain and simple people, if there is one comic that you NEED to be reading, it is Rachel Rising."
'Nuff Said

Honorable Mentions: John Carpenters Asylum, Crossed Badlands

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Best Mini Series: Caliban
When it comes to Horror categories, Space Horror creeps me out the most. It's the fact that even if you win, you lose because you are still stuck in space. It's the dark, vast emptiness, I'm getting the jitters thinking about it right now. Caliban nailed that dark creepy feeling from the start. It had this mixture of Alien and Event Horizon that was just perfectly what I needed. Ennis and Percio were always at the top of their game as the issues rolled out, and I am still wanting more. If you missed out, I am sorry, but I really do think that you NEED to pick up the trade when it comes out. This is a truly horrifying comic book.

Honorable Mentions: '68 Homefront, 68 Rule of War, Deadworld Restoration, Kiss Me Satan

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Best OGN: Monsters! & Other Stories

Words are overrated, just ask this book. Gustavo Duarte is a comic book savant, because this book contains the most beautiful, visual stories I have EVER seen. No words, just pictures and yet I can recall everything like words were there. However unlike Gustavo Duarte, I can't just give you my thoughts on this book with a picture. . . or can I?

Honorable Mentions:  The Curse of Ragdoll, Bramble, Carbon

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Best Book You Need to Go Find: Rise of the Blood Queen #1 

I freaking LOVE Zombie Commandos from Hell books. They have this feel of the late 80s and early 90s, that just brings me back to everything I love about horror. Steph Dumais is fantastic, and has only been putting out ZCFH books for what, 10-15 years now. The artwork is GORE-Geous! Dumais split up art duties between himself, Mike Bauman, Adam Geyer, Walter Sablotny, Mark K Allen and Croc Dave. Each artist has their own style, yet it came together so well here. This was a great read from start to finish. I do highly suggest that if you pick this one up, you buy yourself all 3 of the covers (search online and you will know what I mean). Now get out there and find it! 

Honorable Mentions:   The Cursed and the Damned (N.A.S. Studios), Insane Tales From The Dead

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Best Comedy Title: Lenore
I don't care what that damn Canadian Webslinger on Tales From the Water Cooler thinks, Lenore is a drop dead funny ass comic book. Roman Dirge proves with every single issue how out there this book is, and I just die laughing. His writing style is unique, fresh and needed. Hell I wish I could get more then 4 issues a year, but I don't complain, because when I do get one, it is worth the wait. This year we lost a beloved character in the book, but we also were treated to possibly the funniest moment in Lenore history in issue #9. This book will always be one I recommend to EVERYONE.

Honorable Mentions:  Futurama, The Goon: One for the Road

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Best Non-Horror Title: Über
BACK TO BACK WINNER!!! 
Other then Rachel Rising, it does not get any better than this comic for me. Kieron Gillen amazes me with each new issue, and I am always on the edge of my seat waiting to see what will come next. Now keep in mind that I am a Horror, War and Comedy comic junkie, so this book totally appeals to me. In my opinion too this book can stand toe to toe with the likes of Sgt. Rock, Unknown Soldier and Sgt. Fury (longer running War comics based on a select cast). Gillen does an amazing job of mixing in history with fiction, and it's just so flawless.

Honorable Mentions:  Rover Red Charlie, War Stories, Revenge

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Best Comeback: Ragdoll
Who is Ragdoll? Good question. Ragdoll was a reoccurring character who appeared in Avatar Press' Raw Media back in the day. Well good ol' Mike Wolfer didn't want her to stay unseen, I mean come on people have you heard of Raw Media before. Mike decided to fix things up and relaunch the entire Ragdoll story via a very successful kickstarter campaign, and now she is back. The character is fantastic, and the story she has to tell is horrifying. I for one am glad that she is here with us again, because it would have been a travesty to have left her all locked up never to be seen again. Here is hoping some new tales will be on the horizon. 

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So there you have it. My comic picks for the best of 2014!

• Note: It was not easy to make this list. There are so many great horror comics that come out each year, so I say to you, create your own list and let the world know what stood out to you. When it came to choosing the writer and artist of the year I specifically took into consideration people who worked on more than one book for the year.