Finally, 2020 is coming to an end. While this has been an overall awful year, we got some great comic books. Some of those comics began and ended quickly, giving us great mini and maxi-series. Here are our picks for 2020’s best-limited series.

Marcus Orchard – Mercy

Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy remained a captivating and horrific comic book throughout its six-issue run. The gothic horror book has everything someone could want from a spooky read. Compelling characters, a haunting plot, and gruesome visuals. Still, for every terrifying panel in this book, Andolfo draws many more gorgeous pages. Mercy isn’t just one of the best miniseries of the year. It’s one of the greatest horror comics of all time.

Brandon Carlisle – The Ludocrats

The Ludocrats is colorful, humorous, and raunchy. Throughout the five issues of its run, it never let up its light-hearted, fun nature. At times I felt like the dirty jokes were going a little too far for my liking (particularly in Issue #2), but overall the story had some genuinely great jokes. The characters are simple-minded and the story often defies logic, but there is a charm that comes from it all. There is a surprising amount of world-building, with encyclopedia entries at the end of every issue adding more detail to this ridiculous universe. I would have liked to see more come out of this title because the world in it is infectiously entertaining. 

Hunter Sandlin – Batman: The Three Jokers

The long wait finally paid off and in ways, I didn’t expect. This series was a tight, well written, and absolutely gorgeous Batman story that explored ideas Geoff Johns has been sitting on for years. While it does not fit in neatly to DC’s canon, it is a wonderful story that only wastes a few panels (looking at your raccoon scene). It has been a while since we’ve gotten a Batman story so well written and so beautifully drawn that does not overstay its welcome. 

Greg Mysogland- Batman: Three Jokers

While it strangely contradicts the story it spun out of Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok’s long-awaited tale is still a dark, thrilling exploration of the Bat-Family’s traumatic history. There is plenty of strong development of Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, and Jason Todd as well as interesting, appropriately disturbing new additions to the mythology of the Joker. And the twist ending was handled perfectly.

Geoff Luu – Batman: Three Jokers

The Geoff Johns/Jason Fabok team up 5 years in the making finally hit the shelves in spectacular fashion this year. Though the 3-part follow up to 2015’s “Darkseid War” arguably works best as a “stand-alone” that connects only to the classic Death in the Family and Killing Joke stories, Johns and Fabok hold nothing back in delivering an intensely personal story for its three protagonists. Three Jokers sees Batman, Batgirl, and Red Hood driven to the limits of their moral codes as they attempt to move past their deepest traumas. The twists and character interactions by Johns are phenomenal, and Fabok and colorist Brad Anderson’s art is consistently strong throughout all three issues. 

Matt Dillon – Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated

A violent satire depicting a world that exists entirely within the boundaries of a superstore. Few series this year were as topical or on point as Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated, where human dignity is permanently out of stock. While I’m hoping for a follow-up, this self-contained ultimately tragic tale works perfectly as a standalone work. If nothing else, I’m looking forward to what writer Patrick Kindlon and artist Stefano Simeone will work on next.

Alexander Cole – Usagi Yojimbo: Color Classics

Seven issues telling the origin of Usagi Yojimbo and a number of his earliest stories in colour. What else could a comic book/samurai fan ask for? This was a great series from start to finish. Fans of the ronin rabbit might worry that the colouring of these stories might be handled badly. Recolourings of older comic books haven’t been received well in the past after all. The colouring here is done to an excellent standard though. Usagi has been around for a long time now. Much like other long-running ongoings like “Spawn” this may seem intimidating to new readers and confuse them regarding how to get into the series. Don’t fret though because this is the perfect jumping-on point for new fans. It tells you all you need to know to follow the characters more recent adventures, We even have the current IDW ongoing series and the upcoming “Wanderer’s Road” mini-series continuing to re-tell his classic adventures if you enjoy this. It’s really a great time to be a Usagi Yojimbo fan.

Pashtrik Maloki – Billionaire Island

This book kinda came out of nowhere. Helmed by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh, the creative team by the fantastic 2016 limited series The Flintstones, the book offers a look into a satirical not too distant possible future of our #society. Billionaire Island is satire at its finest, making you feel tons of different emotions – mostly anger, anxiety, sadness, and hopelessness – before hitting you with some killer punchlines and making you burst into laughter. A fantastic read through and through, yet another display of Mark Russell’s genius.

Danilo Téo – Hellblazer: Rise and Fall

Whenever it was I got word that this book was going to happen, I freaked out. The original Hellblazer series is definitely in my top ten of all time and, up until last year, it was hard to find an actually good Constantine story. Si Spurrier gave me back hope with his new main series on Con-Job. That’s why I knew DC was taking the right direction when Tom Taylor and the legend, Darrick Robertson, were put together for a new Hellblazer miniseries. Taylor is an incredibly talented writer who delivers in terror as much as we’ve seen him deliver in wholesomeness. Robertson has one of the most characteristic styles of the industry these days and John’s smirk drawn by his hand is just gold. 

Ethan Maddux – Strange Adventures 

Every time I pick up a new Tom King 12 issue maxi, I ask myself “Is this where I start to get tired of this?” At this point, though, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s ever going to happen. Strange Adventures (as of issue 6) may not quite be on the level of Mister Miracle, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t putting up a fight. This book takes a character I’m almost entirely unfamiliar with and casts him in a light that is utterly compelling, but it doesn’t end with Adam Strange himself. His wife, Alana, is placed in the copilot’s seat in every issue, and her character is just as much of a driving force in the story. Micheal Holt, Mr. Terrific, is also a major player, and his journey has been arguably the most interesting part of the series so far. The team places these three characters in a triangle of tangled motivations and opposing goals, leading the picture to appear more complex and uncertain with every issue. Mitch Gerads’ and Doc Shaner’s clashing, yet equally beautiful styles serve the dual narrative brilliantly. This is a team working in perfect tandem, and I’m left on the edge of my seat every month, clamoring for the next piece of the puzzle.

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