1 - Batman/Santa Claus Silent Knight - Written by Jeff Parker, art by Michelle Bandini and Trevor Hairsine, colors by Alex Sinclair
My only regret of 2023 is I didn't get the first issue of the banger that is Batman/Santa Claus Silent Knight. I feel like I am missing a LOT of context having only read the second issue, but here's the gist. Santa and Krampus used to be friends, then Santa betrayed Krampus, now Krampus is out for revenge and Santa needs Batman's help to stop him. And I think Santa is Asgardian? There is a lot going on in this comic, and it's all great. Plenty of supporting DC characters, Krampus is VERY loveable and sweet, and Santa is as cool as Thor. The art from Bandini, Hairsine, and Sinclair delivers as well, Krampus and Santa look great. So don't make the same mistake I did and wait on this series, go grab up 1 and 2 while you can!
2) The Incredible Hulk #7 - Story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, art by Nic Klein, colors by Matthew Wilson
Another series I have arrived much too late at, The Incredible Hulk by Phillip Kennedy Johnson hooked me the second I saw a few pages of it on Reddit. It was a brief fight between a new (but awesome) Ghost Rider and the Hulk, and I had to know more. I haven't caught up yet, but I plan on going back to #1 and catching based on the premise alone. The premise is: Hulk fights monsters. I'm sure there is a lot more to it than that, but from what I read it's very much a Monster Mash and the Hulk is utterly crushing monsters each issue. The art from Klein and Wilson is incredible as usual, love the design of the Ghost Rider they drew. Another series to jump on and support as long as it can run!
3) Uncanny Spider-Man #5 - Written by Si Spurrier, art by Lee Garbett and SImone Buonfantino, colors by Matt Milla
A fantastic end to the surprise hit of the year. 2023 was a pretty good year for X-Men comics, but in my opinion Uncanny Spider-Man was the most complete, heartfelt, and entertaining story of the group. This issue is no different. The sparks between Silver Sable and Kurt are VERY real and need to be explored in every way humanely possible. The ending was very satisfying, and it left things tied up pretty nicely. The way they incorporated Spider-Man villains but didn't rely on Spider-Man cameos to sell comics was impressive and tactful. I would be very surprised if Si Spurrier doesn't get tapped to helm a Nightcrawler solo run once the Fall of X stuff is done.