Best Comics of 2021: From Zuzu's Introspection to Brubaker's Noir

Artribune's roundup of the top 10 comics of 2021 features a diverse range of Italian and international works. Zuzu's 'Giorni Felici' (Coconino Press) is a 448-page introspective graphic novel blending Beckett and Giorgio Poi, following Claudia's animalistic transformations. Miguel Vila's 'Fiordilatte' (Canicola) is a psychological soft-thriller set in the Veneto province. Fulvio Risuleo and Antonio Pronostico's 'Tango' (Coconino Press) is an interactive love story inspired by Cortázar's 'Rayuela'. Giacomo Nanni's 'Tutto è vero' (Rizzoli Lizard), winner of the 2020 Prix de l'Audace at Angoulême, uses a dotted line style to tell a multi-voice story about trained crows and terrorism. Jérémie Moreau's 'Penss e le pieghe del mondo' (Tunué) follows a prehistoric philosopher-hunter. Barry Windsor-Smith's 'Mostri' (Mondadori) returns after 20 years with a 368-page ink-drawn saga about a genetic project from Nazi Germany. Jean-Marc Rochette and Olivier Bocquet's 'Parete Nord' (L'Ippocampo) is an autobiographical alpine climbing story set in the 1960s-70s. Lukas Jüliger's 'Unfollow' (Edizioni di Atlantide) critiques eco-activism through a messianic figure named Earthboi. 'Nessun rimorso. Genova 2001-2021' (Coconino Press) commemorates the 20th anniversary of the G8 protests with contributions from 36 artists including Zerocalcare and Blu. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' 'Un brutto weekend' (Panini), an Eisner Award winner, follows a misbehaving cartoonist at a convention.