The best modern comics runs (2010-2025), all publishers combined, are at the top Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing, the Batman by Scott Snyder and the Daredevil by Mark Waid. This tier list ranks recent major runs according to their quality and influence. Facts (authors, periods) verified, no invented odds.
A “run” designates the significant passage of a screenwriter (often with a designer) on a series. This tier list focuses on period 2010-2025: recent runs which have marked the medium and which can still be followed in bookstores. Criterion: the quality of writing combined with the imprint left on the character or the series.
Editorial Ranks, Facts verified. Each run refers to its file.
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Start my trial →Tier S: the runs of the decade
Saga (2012) is the great indie run of the period, multi-awarded. Immortal Hulk (2018-21) reinvented the character as a metaphysical horror. THE Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (2011-16) is the flagship superheroic run of the New 52. And the Daredevil by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee brought back the light to the character, praised by critics.
Tier A: contemporary excellence
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction (2012) redefined the intimate comic. The Vision and Mister Miracle by Tom King are two moving modern tragedies. And the Thor by Jason Aaron (2012-19) took the god of thunder to a mythological height.
Tier B: the big character runs
Le Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates gave political depth to Wakanda. House of X by Jonathan Hickman relaunched the X-Men. Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson created a cult heroine, and the Batman by Tom King divided as much as he scored.
Tier C: recent runs to follow
Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV is a horror hit in progress. THE Nightwing by Tom Taylor rejuvenated the character, and the Superman by Brian Bendis marked his passage. Three solid runs, a notch below the highs.
To remember
- Tom King, Jonathan Hickman and Al Ewing dominate recent superhero writing.
- Modern runs are accessible: almost all of them exist in still-published collections.
- Acclaimed run drives up demand on the first numbers concerned.
- Each run refers to the character or series sheet.
How to approach these runs depending on what you are looking for
A run can generally be read with no prerequisites, since most of them start a new cycle. The question is where to begin. Here is a guide by register, based on the periods and authors of the tier list.
Chronological landmarks
- 2011-2016: Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman, the flagship run of the New 52.
- 2012: Saga (Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples), Hawkeye (Matt Fraction and David Aja) and the start of Jason Aaron's Thor, which runs until 2019.
- 2018 to 2021: Al Ewing and Joe Bennett's Immortal Hulk.
According to your taste
- The intimate comic: Hawkeye, The Vision and Mister Miracle. The last two, by Tom King, are described as moving modern tragedies.
- The mythological and the metaphysical: Jason Aaron's Thor and Immortal Hulk, which reinvented the character as metaphysical horror.
- The accessible superhero: Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's Daredevil, praised for giving the character its light back, or G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona's Ms. Marvel.
- The independent: Saga, and James Tynion IV's Something is Killing the Children for horror.
The runs that divide
Tom King's Batman divided as much as it left a mark: it is a run to read with your own opinion, not on the strength of a consensus. By contrast, Snyder and Capullo's Batman is the most consensual of the recent period and makes a good entry point.
On the collecting side
Almost all of these runs exist in collected editions that are still in print, which lets you read without hunting for single issues. When a run is acclaimed, demand rises on its first issues: if you want the single issues of a recent run, do not wait too long to buy the beginning. Finally, check that a first issue on offer is indeed that of the run you are aiming for, since the same character goes through several relaunches.
Frequently asked questions
This is the period during which a screenwriter (often with an assigned designer) directs a series. We speak of “Snyder’s run on Batman” to designate all of his issues.
Saga indie side and Immortal Hulk superhero side are referring. For Batman, the run Snyder/Capullo is the most consensual of recent times.
Yes, most are starting a new cycle and can be read without prerequisites. They exist in bound collections, an ideal format for discovering a character through their best recent run.
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