My Best Comics of 2009

I’m trying to stick to a list of ten, all of which actually came out in 2009 (if not necessarily made in 2009). I probably missed a couple things that might make this list had I gotten to read them. This might be my first best of list that doesn’t include Jaime Hernandez (not a big fan of the latest L&R superhero nostalgia story) but I’ve got a few other repeat artists from last year.

In no particular order, with links to my posts on the books (where possible):

Exploding Head Man by Jason Overby (self-published)
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
You’ll Never Know Part One by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics): Haven’t gotten to writing about this, but I just reread it. A beautiful work, chiefly marred by the fact that is is only part one of three (how long will we wait for the rest of the volumes?).
Finder by Carla Speed McNeil (self-published online) Even in rough pencils, one of the best comics going up on the web on a regular basis. I hope we see another finished print collection soon.
Oishinbo (multiple volumes) by Tetsuo Kariya and Akira Hanasaki (Viz)
Map of My Heart by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
Tarzan: The Jesse Marsh Years v.1-3 by Jesse Marsh and Gaylord Dubois (Dark Horse)
The Complete Jack Survives by Jerry Moriarty (Buenaventura)
Little Flashes and Hypnotizing by Aidan Koch (minicomics/webcomics)
Resistansen, Black Sabbath (intro), and Doomed to Fail (demo) by Allan Haverholm (the first from Aben Maler, the rest are self-published, all are part of the same work in progress)

(Those last two entries are not single works, but all are short enough that I don’t feel I’m breaking any rules by combining them.)

Other potential candidates:

Ganges 3 by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics): Haven’t seen this yet.
Proper Go Well High by Oliver East (Blank Slate): Don’t have a copy yet.
The Photographer by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second): Haven’t gotten a chance to reread this
Twentieth Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa (Viz): I’ve only read the first two volumes, so I’m not sure about this series yet.
Dash Shaw’s Mome short stories: I’m expecting the new collection of these soon, then I’ll be motivated to reread them.

Maybe this list would look different in a month, maybe not. Either way, these are all books I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that you read.