In the sixth volume of this post-apocalyptic manga, Mochizuki’s reach exceeds his grasp. He tries some interesting formal things — merging scenes from multiple locations, POVs, and flashbacks onto one page — but they don’t quite work. The book feels ragged and unsatisfying; unsure I want to continue, but I own the next four.

Buy Dragon Head Vol. 6 at Amazon

Book: 6/52

Power’s epic tale of drug dealing and policing in late 80s/early 90s New Jersey is hilarious, heart-rending, frightening, and revelatory. A subtle, affecting psychological take on the toll poverty takes on people. The things Powers learned here are echoed — sometimes down to the word — in his writing for The Wire.

Buy Clockers at Amazon

Book: 5/52

By Greg Rucka and Chris Samnee

The last (for now) installment the English spy thriller is odd for me. After Vol. 7, Rucka continued the story in a novel — that I didn’t read. I felt out of the loop. Good story here, but missing the immediate past, and learning there’s no immediate future, made the reading weird.

Buy Queen & Country, Vol. 8: Operation: Red Panda at Amazon

Book: 4/52

I liked the idea of starting the year with this anthology about apocalypses. Seemed like a good next step after finishing last year with The Road and Our Ecstatic Days, but comics intervened. That and none of these stories really connecting with me — even those by favorites like Oates, Evenson, Poe.

Buy The Apocalypse Reader at Amazon

Book: 3/52

by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Scott Pilgrim finds love. A surprisingly sweet and tender bit of character work in the middle of a series usually heavy on laughs, video games, and interactivity (the vegan shepard’s pie from Vol. 2 was really tasty). Some cute video game bits; not as funny as previously, but still lots of fun.

Buy Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together at Amazon

Book: 2/52

By Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris

The sixth volume of the saga of superhero-turned-NYC-mayor Mitchell Hundred. The best stories in the series examine the balance between the political and the heroic. This one focuses too heavily towards the superheroism for my taste – and sets up more of it to come. Worthwhile for the series’ fans.

Buy Ex Machina, Vol. 6: Power Down at Amazon

Book: 1/52