"The Best American Comics showcases the work of both established and up-and-coming contributors and highlights both fiction and nonfiction--from graphic novels, pamphlet comics, newspapers, magazines, minicomics, and the Web--to make a unique, stunning collection. Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) called guest editor Scott McCloud 'just about the smartest guy in comics.'"--Publisher's description.

Great comics are not a genre : Crime Raiders International Mobsters and Executioners / Jaime Hernandez -- Picnic Now!, Sickroom Reading, and The hand laundry / Ben Katchor -- The hive -- (excerpt) / Charles Burns -- All the marbles -- (excerpt) / Gilbert Hernandez -- Translated, from the Japanese, / Adrian Tomine -- High road to the schmuck seat / R. Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb -- A 21st century still life / Ben Katchor -- Raising readers : Drama -- (excerpt) / Raina Telgemeier -- Jane, the fox and me -- (excerpt) / Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault -- Family tree : Letting it go -- (excerpt) / Miriam Katin -- RL -- (excerpt) / Tom Hart -- Mom -- (excerpt) / Sam Sharpe -- August 1977 / Nina Bunjevac -- Strange adventures : The mermaid in the Hudson -- (excerpt) / Mark Siegel -- Saga chapter 7 -- (excerpt) / Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples -- Multiple warheads : alphabet to infinity #1 -- (excerpt) / Brandon Graham -- Dimensions / Ted May -- The book of the year is not a book : Building stories -- (excerpt) / Chris Ware -- Testimonials : March : book one -- (excerpt) / John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell -- The program is morally good -- (excerpt) / Frank M. Young and David Lasky -- Hip hop family tree / Ed Piskor -- Oh, crap -- webcomics! Depression part two -- (excerpt) / Allie Brosh -- Even stranger adventures Canadian royalty / Michael DeForge -- The understanding monster -- book one -- (excerpt) / Theo Ellsworth -- The Kuiper Belt Is there silence?, The implications of making something from nothing via the spiritual realm, and This is magic -- this is alchemy / Ron Regé, Jr. -- Face it / C.F. -- Bittersweet romance -- (excerpt) / Victor Cayro -- Whistle while you work ... or think of death / Onsmith -- Schweinhund and Howdy, his nephew Dee Dee and a friend of Howdy's nephew / Gerald Jablonski -- Hyperspeed to nowhere, return to entropy -- (excerpt) / Lale Westvind -- Untitled selections / G.W. Duncanson -- Blue period / Aiden Koch -- Ambient air -- (part II) / Erin Curry -- Memory boxes : Cul de sac, September 17-23, 2012 / Richard Thompson -- Hawaii 1997 / San Alden.