The Six Best Comics of 2010?

As I did last year, I thought I would look ahead to the coming year and talk about what I am most looking forward to reading in 2010.  Here are six books coming out that I can't wait to read:

1) Kevin Huizenga, The Wild Kingdom (Drawn & Quarterly, due March 16)

The Amazon.com description states that this is going to be 108 pages about Glenn Ganges.  Huizenga is one of the best around, and this might be the book that puts him on top.

2) Darwyn Cooke, Parker: The Outfit (IDW, due in October)

I loved Parker: The Hunter, and the idea that there are three more Parker stories from Cooke on the way makes me happy.

3) Farel Dalrymple, The Wrenchies (First Second)

Omega: The Unknown is one of my favorite superhero comic books, and Dalrymple's art is just wonderful.  Here's an interview with Dalrymple, where he says "The Wrenchies is a post-apocalyptic, science fiction, fantasy, super-hero, secret agent coming-of-age epic with some existential bullshit thrown in. The Wrenchies are these children in a screwed up futuristic world who resurrect ancient heroes also called the Wrenchies. The whole thing was brought into being by a demon slayer named Sherwood, who opened a door to a secret world when he was a boy. The story is really about this kid Sherwood who has this crazy adventurous life but is now sort of a stoner asshole who causes the entire world to go to crap. It sounds really convoluted but hopefully it will be radical when I am finished with it."

Man I can't wait.


4) Tony Millionaire, Billy Hazelnuts and the Crazy Bird (Fantagraphics, June 22)

I enjoyed the first Billy Hazelnuts book, and this one looks like it is just as weird and fun.

5) Matt Fraction, Thor (Marvel)

I dug Fraction's earlier work on Thor (the four one-shots collected in Thor: Ages of Thunder).  I'm glad he's taking over as the writer of the ongoing series -- you can tell he loves telling stories about this guy.  John Romita Jr. did a cover image (above), but it's not clear whether he'll be the artist.  I certainly wouldn't mind that combination.  Here is an interview with Fraction.

6) Nate Simpson, Project Waldo
 

Nate Simpson's art is gorgeous.  Although he doesn't have a publisher yet, somebody's got to step up to the plate.  This thing looks so good.  Here's his blog, which includes more pages and lots of discussion of his process.  I'm putting this one last on the list, since there is a good chance it won't actually be published in 2010 because he is still working on it.

Finally, I'd like to point out that one of my "most anticipated comics of 2009" never actually came out in 2009:  Paul Pope's Battling Boy.  Here's hoping that it appears in 2010. (Also: more Multiple Warheads from Brandon Graham sure would be nice.)

So, what are you looking forward to reading?  Brian Chippendale's If 'n Oof?  Brendan McCarthy's Spider-Man and Dr. Strange: Fever?  Charles Burns' X'ed Out?