This weekend starts the last month of the year, which also kick starts my annual excursion for looking backwards on things that made the year less sucky.

We all have routines and schedules that get in the way of happiness, and we also have friends and family that assist in moving the pendulum back toward the positive when moments sway too heavy.

An added necessity to individual circumstance is to supplement your life with the participation or consumption of something extracurricular. These days, though I still dabble heavily in music, I have found myself knee deep in comic art and storytelling. Some of these books are better than most of what’s on the TV, and more than just me should be paying attention.

In the coming days I’ll share my favorite collected volumes of comics from the last year, as well as my annual listing of favorite albums. First, though, allow me to indulge in listing what I thought were the top ten debut issues of comics from the indie publications.

Cheers 🍻

10 | Go-Bots

Written & Illustrated by Tom Scioli

IDW Publishing

9 | Hot-Lunch Special

Written by Eliot Rahal

Illustrated by Jorge Fornés

Published by Aftershock

8 | Man-Eaters

Written by Chelsea Cain

Illustrated by Kate Niemczyk

Published by Image Comics

7 | Friendo

Written by Alex Paknadel

Illustrated by Martin Simmonds

Published by Vault

6 | Bordertown

Written by Eric M. Esquivel

Illustrated by Ramon Villalobos

Published by Vertigo

5 | Farmhand

Written & Illustrated by Rob Guillory

Published by Image Comics

4 | Fearscape

Written by Ryan O’Sullivan

Illustrated by Andrea Mutti

Published by Vault

3 | Punks Not Dead

Written by David Barnett

Illustrated by Martin Simmonds

Published by Black Crown IDW

2 | Murder Falcon

Written by Daniel Warren Johnson

Illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer

Published by Image Comics

1 | Crowded

Written by Christopher Sebela

Illustrated by Ro Stein & Ted Brandt & Co.

Published by Image Comics