I thought I'd do something from the comic side of the continuum. These are in no particular order, and few of them are just things that I really like. This is not meant to be the top fifteen best comics of all times.
1) Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis - "Do not offend the chair leg of truth! For the chair leg of truth is mighty and terrible!" This comic is funny, horrifying, graphic, and adult in all the right ways (as in, politics, not sex).
2) Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai - There really is nothing else out there like Usagi. Literally trasnlated as 'Bunny Bodyguard', Usagi is an anthropomorphic comic set in medieval Japan that follows the life of a wandering ronin. Supernatural phenomenon are limited to those found in Japanese mythology. This is a warm-hearted and historically accurate book with moving, human stories.
3) Powers by Brian Michael Bendis - Ok, so I like cop shows. This is a cop show set in a world where superheroes are real and dressing up in costume if you're not a hero is illegal. Features a team of cranky ex-superhero and his even crankier, petite, foul-mouthed, blond partner. Good, engaging stories, and I like the art a lot, although it might not be to everyone's taste.
4) Top Ten by Alan Moore - Another police drama set in a city where every citizen, from poorest slum-dweller to corporate honcho, has unusual powers and abilities -- not to mention an alter ego and costume. Lots of fun, but Alan Moore will probably never finish it. I think he's wandered off.
5) Elektra Assassin by Frank Miller - The only Elektra story I really like. The Bill Sienkiewicz art is amazing, and the story is told in a weird, disjointed, utterly effective format.
6) Barry Ween, Boy Genius by Judd Winick - You'll never believe a comic with 'Fuck' in it that many times could be so funny, inventive, touching, and tragic.
7) Girl Genius by Phil Foglio - Actually, just read everything by Phil Foglio.
8) Hellboy by Mike Mignola - Unique and quite good art, good characterization, and spooky stories. What more could you want? And one of the characters is named 'Abe Sapien'.
9) The Desert Peach by Donna Barr - What if Erwin Rommel had a gay younger brother? You'd get the wonderful blend of history, politics, and humor that is The Desert Peach. Does this woman even need to pencil? Damn.
10) Hellblazer by Garth Ennis - Hellblazer has sucked for a long time, but it was at its best when Ennis wrote it.
11) V for Vendetta by Alan Moore - Superficially a distopic tale set in future England, this is a tightly constructed work of art that speaks to what it really means to be free. It's often eclipsed by Watchmen for its significance to the comic genre, but remove the context of comics history and V rises as a superior story.
12) Hitman by Garth Ennis - Hitman is gross, gratuitous, and really funny. It's Ennis at his best. Bueno!
13) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vols. I & II by Alan Moore - Nothing like the movie (except for character names), these books are proper Victorian adventures peopled by literary figures from the time period and genre. Lots of fun, sometimes rather horrifying. No Tom Sawyer or Dorian Grey.
14) Bone by Jeff Smith - Classic fantasy with a Pogo sensibility and some twists. Because individual issues are published very irregularly, I would suggest sticking to the graphic novels.
15) Savage Dragon by Erik Larson - I admit it, I'm twelve. There are more significant comics I could mention, but this is one I read issue by issue as it comes out. Savage Dragon manages to embody more comics cliches than you can shake a stick at while never taking itself seriously. It's fun, it's silly, it has lots of fist fights.
A movie calledHellboy is coming out next summer. I assume it's based on the comic. I just saw the preview last night. Looks neat.
Posted by: Lisa | December 28, 2003 at 10:23 AM
Yeah, there's been a bit of buzz about it in the comics magazines for a while. The costuming and makeup look good, now I'm just hoping that they don't butcher the storyline. Since Mignola is reportedly doing all the storyboarding for the movie, it might be just be good.
Alan Moore, for example (From Hell, League of Ext. Gentlemen), generally has nothing to do with the making of the movies based on his stuff. He's said that since movies are a completely different medium, he knows that translating his stories to movies will change them quite a bit. Therefore it's easier for him to just let go of any expectations from the start.
There is also a Hellblazer movie coming out that I probably won't go see. The main character in the comics is very British smart-ass ala Spike, and Keanu Reeves is cast for the part. Of course, the main character is no longer going to be British... I suppose the movie might be pretty good if I can just ignore the fact that it's supposed to be based on the comic, but I'm not sure that will work.
Posted by: Erica | January 01, 2004 at 08:05 PM
Congratulations. Quite an intelligent choice you have posted. Except for the few ones I have never read (but you have made me curious though), your list is a good starter for someone who wants to explore the wonderful world of comics (V, Bone, Usagi, Elektra, Powers and others all put together show us a wide range of intrensically different genres). If you like cop series, it's odd you didn't mention the fabulous comic Kane from Brit artist Paul Grist. And what about Concrete and Stray Bullets and... Be glad you're not into European comics or you would have had it even being more difficulty in making proper choices.
Posted by: Beauregard | March 16, 2004 at 02:51 PM
I don't know that I would single out any one cteolcoiln to you. There are multiple volumes of The Complete Crumb Comics which can be acquired relatively cheaply through Amazon.com. However, some of his other works can be just as impressive, such as his cteolcoilns based on country, jazz, and blues musicians.
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My comic has been top 10 on r/treecomics for 6 hours, why hasn't it been posted here? Just want to know so I can tell my freind because he didn't believe that I could get a comic on here.Love the site!
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