Best Ongoing Series of 2008

Fin Fang Doom says: The Walking Dead!

No title embodied change the way The Walking Dead did in 2008. In the first few months, writer Robert Kirkman killed the majority of the cast and kicked the survivors out of the prison they’d called home for 36 issues. The he switched things up to be about a kid and his somewhat crazy father trying to survive alone. Then the cast ballooned again as old cast members were brought back and new ones were introduced. Now the new gang is on the road to Washington DC, making a stop to check on those two guys Rick met back in his hometown just when this zombie apocalypse thing had started.

The great thing about The Walking Dead is that you never, ever know what to expect. A moment that seems mundane can turn absolutely terrifying in an instant, and characters can be killed or permanently disfigured at a moment’s notice. If the first issue of 2009 is any indication (and the “on time in ‘09” promise actually holds), this series could easily be on the top of the heap next year too.

Jim Doom says: Captain America!

It’s probably not very common that you can kill off the title character and have a book just keep getting better. How weird is it that a sincere comic book about the ultimate patriotic superhero is consistently one of the best comics in 2008?

Given the nature of comic book deaths, it’s not a stretch to suspect that Steve Rogers will return some day. But Brubaker’s ability to build Bucky into a great replacement, if not a Captain America of his own, has made Steve’s return unnecessary. Bucky seems like a fitting title character, as opposed to a placeholder. I think the month-to-month greatness of this book makes it easy to take for granted what an accomplishment that is.

Honorable Mention: Mice Templar

I loved every issue I’ve ever read of this, and it was almost among my highest-ranked books, but the delayed release schedule leads me to forget it even exists (although I did dream about it).

Doom DeLuise says: Action Comics!

Superman bested the Phantom Zone Kryptonians physically, traveled to the 31st Century to aid the Legion of Superheroes against the bigoted Justice League of Earth, and locked horns against Brainiac, freeing the Bottle City of Kandor and leaving Pa Kent a dead man. From there, he jumped into a giant crossover to deal with the thousands of new Kryptonians on Earth.

For Geoff Johns, it seems that writing compelling stories about the Man of Steel just comes naturally. Throw in the amazing art of Gary Frank, and what you’re left with is the best Superman run I’ve read in years. Maybe ever, actually. It takes a lot to make me care about Supes, and I’m impressed that they pulled it off.

Honorable Mention: Justice Society of America

Again, another Geoff Johns story that delivers consistently. It struggled some early in the year, but the Gog story came to a climactic and satisfying conclusion. Funny, I think that story took up the entire year of this book.

Honorable Mention: Wolverine

It’s a shame that the best issue of Old Man Logan didn’t make it out in 2008, because that might be my favorite issue of a comic I’ve read in years, when they show just what broke Wolverine.

Still, this series, under Millar and McNiven has been incredibly fun to read, even if it goes by pretty quickly.

Here’s what we thought were the Best Ongoing Series in years past:

2007:
Jim Doom: New Avengers
Doominator: None!
Fin Fang Doom: Captain America
Doom DeLuise: Nova

2006:
Doominator: Ultimates 2
Doom DeLuise: 52
Fin Fang Doom: Amazing Spider-Man
Jim Doom: (tie) Captain America and Daredevil