ComicsAlliance’s Best Of 2016: The Best Romance Or Erotica Comic of 2016

If you haven’t heard of Check, Please then you may have been living under a rock (or at least not spending enough time on the internet). Ngozi Ukazu’s webcomic destroyed its Kickstarter goals for publishing Year Two in print, and for good reason. While the previous volume focused on the whole Samwell hockey team, this year the focus was on Bitty and Jack’s relationship, made more difficult by the fact that professional sports isn’t exactly gay friendly. It’s a surprisingly sweet comic and well worth the read. [Emma Lawson]

One of the most startlingly romantic comics of the year happens to star a pair of bug-women in love who have a kid together, and yes, everything in that paragraph actually happened. There is something fascinating about insects that Marguerite Bennett and Ariela Kristantina have tapped into; how they can be so alien, and how there is something empowering about the alien. All new ideas — such as “women: are they people?” started out alien as well, and it’s this that lends Insexts so much of its power. [Charlotte Finn]

Romantic storytelling should not embody Apple design; it should not be lacquered smooth, rounded off, made aesthetically simple or or monotone or sleek. It should have character and wear, complexity and charm — and in Blue Delliquanti's webcomic O Human Star, a series about romance and relationships amidst the robot revolution, all of those are just part of the programming. In both script and visual design, the series excels in highlighting what makes characters (robots included) human: untended grief, layered meaning, and numerous wrinkles of both the physical and emotional sort. [Jon Erik Christianson]

“Deadman plus Gothic romance” is a finger-snap of a premise, in that you have to snap your fingers and ask how it’s never been done before. Sarah Vaughn and Lan Medina gave us this highlight of the DC Rebirth relaunch in Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love, harkening back to the weird, experimental days of Vertigo’s early days and unfolding their tale via extra-sized issues that let them stretch their wings on format and pacing. This moody, gorgeous book will surely be considered a classic in the years to come. [Charlotte Finn]

Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne’s webcomic Oglaf is something that could’ve pretty much only happened on the internet: a sex comedy that — be it punchline or setup —typically features explicit sex or prominent nudity. It’s definitely not for everyone, but for those who like raunchy jokes with double the raunch — and a heaping dose of laughs at fantasy clichés into the bargain — this weekly gag comic (updating on Sundays) is right up your alley. Proverbial or otherwise. [Tom Speelman]