40. Hellboy: The Midnight Circus by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo (Dark Horse)
Set in Hellboy's youth, our young hero is upset with Professor Bruttenholm and the BPRD and runs away to join the circus! Except the circus only opens and night and what it contains are creatures not of this world... Mike Mignola returns with his Darkness Calls artist Duncan Fegredo to tell a Pinocchio-inspired standalone Hellboy book. Amazing gothic horror imagery and the touching relationship between Hellboy and the Professor are highlights of this excellent short comic - fans of Hellboy will pick up on some of the subtler scenes relating to his future stories while newer readers to the character can simply enjoy the amazing story.
39. Quantum and Woody by James Asmus and Tom Fowler (Valiant)
Eric and Woody Henderson are adopted brothers who, as adults, are now estranged until their father is murdered and the devices he was working on bond to the guys and turn them into superheroes Quantum and Woody! Without clinking bracelets every 24 hours, the devices will kill them so this odd couple must re-learn how to get along while also figuring out how to become superheroes too! James Asmus brings his great sense of humour to the title, giving the two characters some excellent back and forths, including a thoughtful yet funny discussion on racism. There is also a goat character who is just a goat. Or is it...? Yes it is - but it's an awesome goat! Quantum and Woody is easily Valiant's funniest relaunched title.
38. Mara by Brian Wood and Ming Doyle (Image)
In a world obsessed with volleyball, Mara Prince is the greatest volleyball player of them all and consequently the world's biggest star. And then she begins exhibiting superpowers - superspeed, flight, superstrength. But what does it all mean, and what is she turning into? Brian Wood's thoughtful coming-of-age story could be read as a metaphor, or a different take on the superhero medium, or simply a great story; that's part of its brilliance. He doesn't overtly state the meaning of the book and many panels are silent, allowing the reader their own interpretation of it's story. Ming Doyle's art is stunning, making certain pages of Mara meditating while listening to a iPod or simply floating in space looking at the world from afar look like iconic images. Mara is one of the year's most mysterious takes on the superhero genre and well worth a look for fans looking for something a little bit different.
37. A User's Guide to Neglectful Parenting by Guy Delisle (Drawn and Quarterly)
Delisle is best known for his travelogues to little known areas of the world like Pyongyang in North Korea, Jerusalem, Burma or Shenzen in China, but here he settles down and writes a funny series of sketches on life as a father to his two young children. Light pieces like forgetting to put a coin under his son's pillow when one of his baby teeth falls out, or critiquing the hell out of his daughter's drawing before realising she's only 6 and not a professional illustrator like him, are genuinely really funny. A User's Guide... is a highly enjoyable series of vignettes for all readers, whether you have kids or not.
36. Demeter by Becky Cloonan (Comixology)
The awesome Becky Cloonan returned to add another chapter in her self-published Ink and Thunder series of black and white one-shots, after 2011's Wolves and 2012's The Mire, with this year's Demeter. A fisherman and his wife live a charmed life on the coast but a shadowy figure lurks outside the windows at night that only the wife can see - what does it want and how is it linked to her husband? Demeter is a magical fantasy tale of the depths love will take us drawn with Cloonan's utterly gorgeous art style and deft storytelling touch. An absolute treat for the eyes and a haunting tale of love for the hearts of all readers!