u/beary_neutral

With 2026's Bingo underway, I thought I'd throw out some comic recommendations, one for each square. With the exception of my 2026 pick, these are all books that I've read (or are currently reading). I tried to spotlight a variety of creators, though I just now noticed that I repeated a couple. Have fun.

Edit: Added some alternative picks.

Trans or Nonbinary Protagonist - Spirit World, by Alyssa Wong, Haining, and Sebastian Cheng (DC)

Written by non-binary Chinese-American writer Alyssa Wong, Spirit World introduces Xanthe Zhou, an Envoy who can travel between the world of the living and the world of the dead. They cross paths with fan favorites Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) and John Constantine, and get into all sorts of unfortunate hijinks.

Judge a Book By Its Title - Something is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, and Miquel Muerto (Boom!)

I spoiler tagged this for those who want to go in blind and tick off Hard Mode. >!Yes, the title accurately describes what happens in this horror series. It's about an ancient order of monster slayers who hunt horrific monsters that, well... kill children. Only the order itself has its own agenda, and isn't quite as benevolent as one would seem.!<

Alternate - Murder Falcon, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer (Image)

Translated - One Piece, by Eiichiro Oda (Viz)

Any manga works here, really. I enjoy One Piece a lot, so that's my pick. You could also use Hard Mode for the more recent volumes.

Small Press or Self Published - These Savage Shores, by Ram V, Sumit Kumar, Vittorio Astone, and Aditya Bidikar (HM) (Vault)

Comics don't really have a "Big 5", but I made do with what I could. I eliminated the Big 2 (Marvel and DC), along with some of the other larger publishers like Image, Boom!, IDW, and Dark Horse. Vault Comics, despite being a smaller publisher, has a wealth of excellent creator-owned titles under their umbrella, with this one being a standout. These Savage Shores details the horrors of British colonialism in 1700s India. And there are vampires, too.

Alternate - The Rush: This Hungry Earth Reddens Under Snowclad Hills, by Simon Spurrier, Nathan C. Gooden, Addison Duke, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Vault)

Unusual Transportation - Bug Wars, by Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar, Matthew Wilson, and Becca Carey (HM) (Image)

It's the classic hero's journey, about a young man whisked from his ordinary mundane life to join a fantastical war in a faraway land. Only that faraway land isn't so far away, but rather his own backyard. Bug Wars is classic heroic fantasy mixed with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, with our hero shrunk down to battle monstrous ants, spiders, scorpions, and all sorts of bugs. Oh, and he has a loyal beetle friend that he rides into battle.

The Afterlife - Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Mattia De Iulis, and Jordie Bellaire (HM) (DC)

What if Wonder Woman wasn't raised on a utopian island of women, but rather on the Wild Isle of Hell in the Underworld? Absolute Wonder Woman re-imagines the icon as an underdog who nonetheless retains her heroism despite the circumstances, and defies the Gods that seek to diminish her.

Alternate - The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, by Ram V and Felipe Andrade (HM) (Boom!)

Game Changer - Do a Powerbomb!, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer (Image)

It's an intergalactic wrestling tournament with everything on the line! You'll laugh! You'll cheer! And you'll cry your heart out!

Vacation Spot - House of X/Powers of X, by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva, and Marte Garcia (Marvel)

One of the most impactful status quo changes in Marvel history asks the question: what happens when an oppressed group is pushed to the limit, and finally gains the upper hand? The mutants of Marvel create their own sovereign nation on the paradisal island of Krakoa. But peace cannot be achieved without consequences, and boy are there consequences.

Five Short Stories - Assorted Crisis Events, by Deniz Camp, Eric Zawadzki, Jordie Bellaire, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and Tom Muller (HM) (Image)

Now here is my top comic of 2025. The premise of Assorted Crisis Events is a play on superhero comic events, the crossovers that transcend time and space, involve the multiverse, and leave the world disheveled in ruin. This comic follows the ordinary civilians that are left in the wake of such events, and examines how their day-to-day lives are impacted. Every issue is a one-and-done story of human tragedy. I highly recommend this for fans of The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror.

Older Protagonist - Kingdom Come, by Mark Waid and Alex Ross (DC)

In the world of superhero comics, there's an oddly common subgenre of "award bait" comics about superheroes who grow old in dystopian futures. Kingdom Come, along with the 1980s classic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, is one of the most acclaimed examples of this. In a story about good intentions gone wrong, we see an aging Superman attempt to take the reigns from the next generation of fallen superheroes.

Alternate - God Country, by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Jason Wordie, and John J. Hill (Image)

Duology Part 1 - Robin & Batman, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen (DC)

Due to the serial nature of comics, it's tough to find a proper duology. I searched specifically for limited series and original graphic novels that had two installments that had the same continuity and the same creative team, and managed to find a couple of gems. In Robin & Batman, we see the dysfunctional father and son relationship play out between Batman and a very young Dick Grayson as Robin, and the growing pains that they go through. The sequel Robin & Batman: Jason Todd adds the controversial second Robin into the mix as well.

Alternate - The Nice House on the Lake, by James Tyinion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, and Jordie Bellaire (DC)

r/Fantasy Book Club or Readalong Book - Once & Future, by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, and Tamra Bonvillain (Boom!)

After looking through the Book Club backlog and not finding any comics, I was ready to write this one off as a swap, but then I remembered that this sub does Readalongs for the Hugo Awards, and there was one year where the mods did threads for the Graphic Novel nominees. Once & Future explores of the political fallout of bringing legends of English folklore into the today's world, and how the myths of old have been filed down and white-washed into the stories we know today.

Published in 2026 - Absolute Green Arrow, by Pornsak Pichetshote, Rafael Albuquerque, and Marcelo Maiolo (DC)

This one isn't out yet, but it's my most anticipated comic of 2026. Pornsak Pichetshote is an excellent writer, having written award-winning hits in Infidel and The Good Asian, and Rafael Albuquerque is one of the best artists in the business. Not too much is known about this yet, but it has been described as a slasher horror about a serial killer that goes after billionaires.

Alternate - Bleeding Hearts, by Deniz Camp, Stipian Morian, and Matt Hollingsworth (DC)

Explorers and Rangers - Black Science, by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Moreno Dinisio, and Dean White (Image)

A group of scientists have achieved interdimensional travel, but at a price. They're trapped in the unknown, bouncing from one world to another with no way of getting home. It's Lost in Space, with even higher stakes.

Duology Part 2 - Green Lantern: Earth One, Vol. 2, by Gabriel Hardman, Corinna Bechko, and Jordan Boyd (DC)

This duology of graphic novels is probably the most accessible way to get into the world of Green Lantern. The first graphic novel takes a hard sci-fi setting and blends in the more fantastical elements of the franchise, while this sequel introduces more of the supporting cast.

Alternate - The Nice House by the Sea, by James Tyinion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, and Jordie Bellaire (DC)

One-Word Title - Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (HM) (Image)

Anyone who read comics in the 2010s could tell you that this was the "must see TV" of comics at the time. It follows a fugitive family fleeing all over the galaxy from both sides of a bloody and relentless war. No place was safe, anyone could die, and plot twists came fast and hard. It was THE comic of that era, and you couldn't miss an issue.

Alternate - Coda, by Simon Spurrier and Mattias Bergera (Boom!)

Non-Human Protagonist - Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (HM) (Fantagraphics/Dark Horse/IDW)

The quick pitch here is Redwall in Edo Japan. It's a (relatively speaking) historically faithful chronicle of an honorable ronin wandering the Japanese countryside to take on odd jobs and defend the innocent. And who also happens to be an anthropomorphic rabbit. This long-running series has a lot of charm and humor, but isn't also afraid to get into political drama from time to time.

Middle-Grade - Batman: Li'l Gotham, by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs (DC)

It's a charming and humorous love letter to the colorful world of Batman with gorgeous water-painted art. There are tons of visual gags and easter eggs to appeal to readerss of all ages.

First Contact - Absolute Martian Manhunter, by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez (DC)

An FBI agent is injured in an explosion, and wakes up to discover a psychic alien entity residing in his head. He starts seeing the thoughts, anxieties, and fears of the people around him, as another psychic alien being seeks to unleash malice upon the world. This mindbender was my favorite superhero comic of the past year.

Alternate - Trillium, by Jeff Lemire (DC)

Murder Mystery - Far Sector, by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell (DC)

There are tons of Batman comics that can fit this square (such as The Long Halloween, The Black Mirror, and The Imposter), but I thought I'd go with a familiar name for this sub in N.K. Jemisin. Far Sector is a noir thriller set on a very alien world where the peace between three different alien cultures is on the verge of shattering.

Alternate - The One Hand and the Six Fingers, by Ram V, Laurence Campbell, Dan Watters, Sumit Kumar, Lee Roughridge, Aditya Bidikar, and Tom Muller (Image)

Cat Squasher - Gotham Central Omnibus, by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, and Kano (DC)

Here you go, a 900-page omnibus about the trials and tribulations of the Gotham City Police Department, as they deal with not only corruption and internal politics, but also the harrowing experience of being helpless in a city full of supernatural serial killers that are well above their capabilities.

Alternate - East of West: The End Times Compendium, by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta, and Frank Martin

Feast Your Eyes on This - Superman vs. Meshi, by Satoshi Miyagawa and Kai Kitago (DC)

This fun manga series is all about Superman flying to Japan during his lunch break (and ignoring the logistics of time zones) to eat Japanese cuisine. It's full of silly little gags like Superman trying to reverse time to stop his noodles from becoming soggy. And if you're going for hard mode, there are plenty of different Japanese dishes to pick from.

Published in the 70s - Green Lantern/Green Arrow, by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams (DC)

This highly influential classic teams the "law and order" Green Lantern with bleeding heart liberal Green Arrow on a road trip across America, as they face sociopolitical issues that plagued the country. This run was revolutionary for its time in how willing it was to confront the contemporary issues of its day head-on.

Politics and Court Intrigue - The Omega Men, by Tom King, Barnaby Bagenda, and Romulo Fajardo Jr. (DC)

The political space opera examines a bloody war between a genocidal empire and an immoral band of rebel fighters. There's a hard focus on showing the brutal horrors of war and how the interests of outside parties enable atrocities to happen.

Alternate - Lazarus, by Greg Rucka, Michael Lark, and Santi Arcas (Image)

Author of Color - Ultimate X-Men, by Peach Momoko (HM) (Marvel)

You could pick any manga for hard mode, but I thought I'd spotlight the recently concluded Ultimate X-Men, which re-imagines the X-Men as a group of Japanese teenage girls to comment on the social anxieties and pressures faced by young women in Japan.

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