The superhero genre understandably accept the Leo ’s share of the spotlight when it comes to the amusing book medium . Industry giants , MarvelandDC Comics , have their respective pantheon of hoagy and villains , but 2021   brought a satisfying amount of non - superhero comic book serial .

small-scale and creator - own comics lend some memorable stories to the page that venture into some wonderfully uncanny places . They ’re more than deserving a read , with 2021 control publishing firm release some enthralling floor straddle from noir to horror under various creative writer and artists . Some of those comics were even published under the the like of DC thanks to their exceptional Black Label imprint .

The Human Target (DC Comics)

FormerBatmanwriter   from the 2016Rebirthinitiative over at DC Comics took to the aforementioned Black Label imprint to assure a different form of report . The Human Targetsees   King team up with creative person Greg Smallwood ( ofMoon Knightfame ) to do an imaginative and insurgent take on the noir genre . The serial publication is still young in its streamlet but is already amassing an impressive degree of critical plaudits .

Its taradiddle focuses on Christopher Chance – a sort of " reverse hitman " within the DC universe – who pretend as a   decoy to take heat off of his targeted clients . Chance faces his most brutal job yet , as protecting Lex Luthor ( of all characters ) attracts the anger of many hoi polloi . This includessome of DC Comics ' best heroes . Part of the praises going intoThe Human Targetis how it tells a gritty detective noir report that ’s contrasted by Smallwood ’s colorful , vibrant art .

The Nice House On The Lake (DC Comics)

Another formerBatmanwriter – including bothBatmanandDetective Comics– by means of James Tynion IV has done an exciting job stretching his peg into the more forbidding and freaky of the comic Koran medium . The Nice House on the Lakewas also release under the Black Label imprint and was also one ofDC ’s best comic books in general of 2021 .

It ’s six issues into its run , with another six go away to conclude the series , and it ’s already engrossed many fan of the repulsion musical genre . Along with the suspensive authorship , creative person Alvaro Martinez Bueno ’s visuals do an first-class problem of   portraying eerieness and dread to express   a sentiency of repugnance in an unsettling off-the-wall millionaire ’s ambition holiday house . The Nice House on the Lakehas been a bang-up commercial and vital success so far , with the serial prove to be another   creative reinvention of both horror and the " murder mystery story " style of stories in comics .

Once & Future (Image Comics)

Artist Dan Mora is one of the most exciting up - and - fare pencilers in comics powerful now , with his work on Batman throughDetective Comicsand the upcomingWorld ’s Finestshowing his unique blend of stylish modernism with an unmistakable funny - atomic number 39 art style . geminate up with writer Kieron Gillen , Once & Futureis a thrilling take on black - fantasy storytelling .

Gillen ’s world is a advanced - daytime England mixed with phantasy / Arthurian legend , where a group of British Nationalists used dark magic to render and resurrect King Arthur for nefarious purposes . Duncan McGuire , a museum conservator , gets sucked into this imminent disaster and his monster - hunting grandmother , Bridgette , comes out of retirement . The story throws in horror component as well , result in a compelling and imaginative   narrative that shows no sign of slowing down , even 23 issues afterwards .

Something Is Killing The Children (BOOM! Studios)

James Tynion IV has been lending his talents across several comic script publishers ,   andSomething Is bolt down the Childrenat BOOM ! Studios is another one of the writer’sbest works in repugnance comicsand in general . This serial has had a longer run , with it spanning 20 issues as of last September . Like withA Nice House on the Lake , this series has garner an impressively ordered level of plaudit .

Its fib follows the mysterious disappearing of several tike of Archer ’s Peak , with only a few managing to bring back alive . What they lived to tell was nothing short of horrific , suggesting a creature stalking the shadows . Erica Slaughter , a monstrosity hunter , comes in to facilitate the children defeat this terrific novel terror . creative person   Werther Dell’Edera also deserves particular praise for crafting stylish , morose visuals that deal the tense atmosphere of the setting .

The Good Asian (Image Comics)

Pornsak Pichetshote’sThe Good Asianhasbeen one of Image Comics ' o.k. worksoverall , fuse   dim crime - noir thriller with meaningful political commentary . The level follows a Chinese - American tec attempting to clear a brutal case of murders bechance within the biotic community , with his nous devolve the longer the case goes on .

Alexandre Tefenkgi ’s artwork also does a fantastic line   of setting the climate and atmosphere of the era , while unabashedly evidence the   grisliness of the string of killings . It ’s a riveting thriller adjust to the backdrop of 1930 ’s Chinatown ,   balancing an engaging criminal offense saga with a history that challenges the modern stereotype of the " manakin minority " immigrant   by tackling musical theme of overpowering systematic corruption .

The Department Of Truth (Image Comics)

Aside from horror , Tynion IV has march that he also has a great hang for stake into the conspiratorial . Also with Image Comics , The Department of Truthis an enticing story determine in an alternate chronicle where every popular conspiracy theory is straight . One shadowed organisation has been covering them all up , and an astounding   series of revelation blossom forth after Cole Turner investigates further .

Though not an outright revulsion story , the assumption ofThe Department of Truthcarries   a special brand of holy terror , in a metaphoric sense . It ’s by using the story as societal commentary for the real - cosmos conspiracy theories and efforts to combat objectiveness with tribalist preconception that this cagy   comic strikes a sense of veneration . On top of Tynion ’s systematically intriguing writing , this comedian features a revolving plaster cast of talented artists lending their pencils and ink to its 15 issues – with more to come .

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Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

marvel’s sentry with his comic-book villains

invisible man

Split image of The Nice House on the Lake, The Human Target, and The Good Asian covers

Cover art for The Nice House on the Lake featuring the cover character horrified in a lake of skeletons

An image of Once & Future cover art featuring the main cast, with Duncan McGuire wielding a mystical sword

Comic book art: Erica Slaughter, bloodied and weapon in hand, in Something Is Killing the Children

Detective Edison Hark poses on the stairs in The Good Asian

Cover art for The Department of Truth, featuring a mysterious group member with crossed-out eyes