10 Best Comic Books Of 2017

3. Batman

DC Comics

Tom King's Batman was a revelation when it debuted midway through last year, and the series has only gone from strength to strength in this one, with Joëlle Jones joining onboard for its most recent arc, which takes the Bat-Cat dynamic to whole new heights.

The War of Jokes and Riddles may have dominated 2017 with a rich and compelling narrative, but it is King's most recent arc chronicling Batman and Catwoman's engagement that makes it stand out over others. The writer just gets a feel for the two characters that no other Bat-scribe has really managed to, crafting a tale that yes, seems to carry an air of tragedy to it, but one that also offers an altogether more human window into these two extraordinary heroes.

King's efforts were best exemplified by last week's second Batman Annual of the year, where he follows Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's relationship from beginning to end, constructing one of the most emotional DC shorts of the last decade. It's a theme that runs concurrent with his main Bat-title, and while it remains to be seen what becomes of Bruce and Selina's romance, it's suitably refreshing to see a Bat-writer focus on the character-driven aspects of his universe - desert-bound ninja duels and all.

Snyder and Capullo were always going to be a tough act to follow, but - dare I say it - King's vision of Batman is far superior. You won't find as honest a portrayal as his.

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.