The Guardian and Observer Name the Best Comics of 2023

The Guardian and Observer have compiled a list of the best comics, cartoons, and graphic stories published on their platforms throughout 2023.

The list was published on the newspaper's website.

The theme of this year's top comics and cartoons revolves around social and political issues. In particular, graphic novels explore issues of internal politics in the UK, social standards, or the global climate crisis.

Attempts to make the UK unwelcoming to immigrants, Opinion, August 8, 2023

First on the list is a cartoon of Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak, attempting to make 'Britain as unwelcoming as possible, standing on the tops of islands and watching sewage pipes dump waste into the surrounding waters.'

The drawing was a response to the government's plans to deport asylum seekers in the UK to a remote island if Sunak's infamous plan to send migrants to Rwanda fails.

Mortgage crisis in the UK, Opinion, June 23, 2023

This graphic novel responds to the mortgage crisis, which was a top issue throughout the UK this year. In 2023, there was a 'shocking' increase in mortgage interest rates to 5% in the country. The negative consequences of payment increases for those with variable-rate mortgages gained widespread attention.

Later, mortgage lenders and UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that mortgage holders would receive a 12-month grace period before property repossession.

Misogyny in the UK police, Opinion, January 19, 2023

The third graphic work describes 'systemic problems' in the UK police, where officers were involved in horrific crimes and spread a 'toxic culture' towards women.

One of the most prominent criminal cases in the UK in 2023 was the case of Elite British police officer David Kerr, who committed 48 rapes over two decades. The law enforcement officer became one of the most horrifying sexual offenders in modern history.

It is worth noting that recently in Ukraine, a series of comics about military personnel called 'Hatylo' was launched. According to the authors, it is a 'fantastic story where free people fight against emptiness,' with the prototypes of the characters being fallen defenders.

Earlier, The Gaze also explored the phenomenon of graphic novels and featured iconic comics from around the world.

Additionally, the first known cartoon is considered to be Richard Felton Outcault's 'Yellow Kid,' published in 1895.