After diving headfirst into a lifelong passion in 2010, Life of Agony’s Alan Robert is a newly minted comics scribe, penning the grim tales WIRE HANGERS and CRAWL TO ME, and as the last week of 2011 begins, he also graciously penned some thoughts on his favorite funnybooks of the year for Fango.

1. MONOCYTE (IDW): Hands down, the most evil looking, twisted and beautiful book of the year. Major props go to my man and master painter, Menton3, and his partner in crime, Kasra Ghanbari, for creating a world where the gift of death is something the immortal characters here actually crave. Visually impressive with memorable characters, this is an epic tale that needs to be read to in order to communicate the true depth of the story effectively. If you haven't checked this book yet, you're seriously losing out.

2. ECHOES (Top Cow): Author Josh Fialkov really outdid himself with this one. An original, psychological horror story hasn't been told this well in years. Beautifully drawn by Rahsan Ekedal, I'm sure Echoes will top many Best of 2011 comic lists. The major theme of schizophrenia and murder is displayed through haunting black and white pages. The series is available in a hardcover now, I highly recommend it.

3. GREEN WAKE (Image/Shadowline): For me, the best part of this dark series is the stunning artwork by artist Riley Rossmo. His textured, mixed-media style is right up my alley. Sure, the murder mystery that's plotted out here is grizzly, layered and suspenseful, but the visuals of this book will absolutely suck you in, twist you upside your head and never let you go. Amazing, amazing debut!

4. NEONOMICON (Avatar Press): I love WATCHMEN, so picking up Alan Moore's latest was a no brainer. Basically, there are a bunch of unrelated, ritual-style murders taking place and it's up to a pair of FBI agents to get to the bottom of it. What they find is not what you'd expect in the slightest. It's a good read, reminiscent of Lovecraft, with solid artwork by Jacen Burrows.

5. '68: The Vietnam War plus zombies, how can ya go wrong? This comic was a real highlight for me this year, boasting a great creative team and an awesome concept, and worth picking up for the fantastic covers alone (everything from a zombified Jimi Hendrix to Elvis and Nixon). Really great stuff!

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