The Best American Comics 2015

Lethem and Kartalopoulos assemble many of today’s most innovative comic creators in this impressive collection. With remarkable balance, this volume encompasses heartfelt memoir, historical fiction, experiments in nonlinear storytelling, and beyond—few corners of the independent comics world are left unexplored. Excerpts from Alabaster’s “Mimi and the Wolves,” Julia Gfrorer’s Palm Ash, and A. Degen’s Crime Chime Noir are particularly strong and act as mediators between the most conventional and experimental extremes of the collection. Not every entry is a standout, however, and the volume is curiously lacking in comics published online. This oversight might have been acceptable a few years ago, but it’s odd in 2015. Still, this is a strong assemblage of work, showcasing a variety of voices. Anyone interested in the far-ranging possibilities of the comics medium would do well to pick up a copy. Agent: Eric Simonoff. (Oct.)