COMICS YOU SHOULD READ:
RECOMMENDED READING LIST
PLEASE SEE BELOW A LIST OF RECOMMENDED COMICS, COMIC CREATORS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS.
THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS DEFINITIVE BUT SHOULD INSPIRE YOU TO TRY AND EXPLORE THE COMICS MEDIUM A LITTLE FURTHER.
THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS DEFINITIVE BUT SHOULD INSPIRE YOU TO TRY AND EXPLORE THE COMICS MEDIUM A LITTLE FURTHER.
COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS - MATURE READERS
WATCHMEN - ALAN MOORE & DAVE GIBBONS
Rightly hailed as a Comic Book Masterpiece and touted as one of the first Graphic Novels. The “last word” in superhero comics was written more than 25 years ago. Moore’s innovative writing and Gibbons’ intricate artwork craft a multi-layered adult murder mystery / conspiracy thriller with recurring motifs, juxtaposition and characterisation that put many Hollywood Blockbusters to shame. It's a virtuoso performance by both creators, showcasing their mastery of comics storytelling and a must-read addition to anyone's bookshelf.
SANDMAN - NEIL GAIMAN & VARIOUS ARTISTS
Gaiman’s epic tales of Morpheus Lord of Dreams explore the nature of Myths, Gothic Horror, Fairy Tales and Storytelling. Mythological Characters rub shoulders with Strange Creatures; Magicians lurk in the shadows while Superheroes fly overhead; Gods, Demons, Faeries, Immortals, Monsters and Ordinary People all live within the pages of the Sandman Universe. Some amazing artistic contributions from CHARLES VESS, JILL THOMPSON, KELLEY JONES, MARC HEMPEL and a variety of talent raise this series above many of its' contemporaries and continues to appeal to a vast spectrum of people outside usual comic readers.
LOVE AND ROCKETS - LOS BROS HERNANDEZ
The 50 issues of the magazine-sized First Volume of Love & Rockets is hands-down my all-time favourite comic series of all time. LA-based brothers JAIME and GILBERT HERNANDEZ (with some input from older bro MARIO) craft immersive narratives that blend the fantastic with the mundane. Fantastical tales of Dinosaurs, Mutants, Robots, Super-Heroes and Aliens are often pushed aside for more down to earth stories of the 80's Suburban California Punk Scene or the timeless saga of life in a South American Village. Still going strong after 30 years and highly recommended.
HELLBOY - MIKE MIGNOLA & VARIOUS ARTISTS
Mignola’s big red anti-hero is actually a down-to-earth working stiff whose job happens to be punching out Ghosts, Demons, Witches and all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, including Giant-Robot-Nazi-Gorillas! Great atmospheric artwork coupled with ancient world mythologies make this a must-read series which has spawned its own spin-off comics universe, including the long-running B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence), Hollywood Movies, Cartoons, Action Figures and Video Games.
GRENDEL - MATT WAGNER & VARIOUS ARTISTS
Wagner’s Grendel Saga spans centuries as the”Grendel-spirit” infects various characters from a 20th Century Crimelord to the Emperor of a Post-Apocalyptic Future-Earth. His deceptively simple cartoony artwork belies the intricate plots and really shines in two stunning Batman crossovers. Wagner’s MAGE series is also well worth a look - a modern take on Arthurian Legends with the magic sword Excalibur disguised as a Baseball Bat!
MADMAN - MICHAEL ALLRED
Mike Allred creates the Coolest and Wierdest Superheroes around - Chiefly reanimated corpse Frank Einstein who masquerades as MADMAN and his team of Screwy Superhero Sidekicks THE ATOMICS. Allred wears his influences as a Badge of Honour - His clean retro style evokes the 60's Pop Art sensibility of Jack Kirby coupled with the 70's Glam Rock veneer of David Bowie. Mike's wife Laura helps to bring his creations to life with some of the lushest colouring to ever grace a comic and they have collaborated on many projects for Marvel and DC/Vertigo - all well worth a look: X-Force, X-Statix, Spider-Man, Sandman, Superman, iZombie and Silver Surfer.
THE INVISIBLES - GRANT MORRISON & VARIOUS ARTISTS
THE INVISIBLES - GRANT MORRISON & VARIOUS ARTISTS
Morrison was once known as the “enfant terrible” of British Comics, often going out of his way to create the most outrageous characters and comics - see his work on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL at DC as prime examples of this. Now he is seen as one of the industry’s top creators with hugely successful runs at both MARVEL and DC: BATMAN, NEW X-MEN, MARVEL BOY, JLA and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. Morrison’s THE INVISIBLES is the comic he was born to write - It’s weird and wonderful, packed full of Flying Saucers, Time Travel, Superheroes, Extra-Dimensional Beings and Conspiracy Theories. This, along with his FLEX MENTALLO series illustrated by Frank Quitely, are quintessential Morrison!
Morrison was once known as the “enfant terrible” of British Comics, often going out of his way to create the most outrageous characters and comics - see his work on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL at DC as prime examples of this. Now he is seen as one of the industry’s top creators with hugely successful runs at both MARVEL and DC: BATMAN, NEW X-MEN, MARVEL BOY, JLA and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. Morrison’s THE INVISIBLES is the comic he was born to write - It’s weird and wonderful, packed full of Flying Saucers, Time Travel, Superheroes, Extra-Dimensional Beings and Conspiracy Theories. This, along with his FLEX MENTALLO series illustrated by Frank Quitely, are quintessential Morrison!
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - FRANK MILLER
After his cracking run on Marvel's DAREDEVIL character, Miller reinvented DC’s BATMAN with possibly the most influential comic of the 1980’s. Set in a future where superheroes have been outlawed and crime runs unchecked through the streets, the grizzled, elderly Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement for one last stand. Although Miller’s writing style can be fairly raw, his artwork is highly visual and dynamic and he is a master of storytelling techniques.
MAUS - ART SPIEGELMAN
Spiegelman’s crusade to have Comics recognised as its own art form was vindicated through the success of MAUS - based on his father’s recollections as a Holocaust Survivor. Using a stark cartoony style, Spiegelman portrays Jews as mice and Nazis as Cats - an interesting graphic device which immediately sums up the whole narrative. But this is no simple Tom & Jerry allegory - the story is as much about Spiegelman's strained relationship with his father and how they both struggle to come to terms with the enormity of their personal tragedies. His work in RAW, ARCADE and WEIRDO is also worth looking into for those of you with a more underground sensibility.
CEREBUS - DAVE SIM & GERHARD
Sim’s anthropomorphic hero CEREBUS THE AARDVARK went from being a spoof of CONAN THE BARBARIAN into a 300 Issue Epic, that tells the life story of an “Earth Pig Born”, from Mercenary to Prime Minister to Pope and Beyond! The outspoken Sim uses CEREBUS to address the big questions of Life, The Universe and Everything, addressing such controversial topics as Politics, Religion, Personal Relationships and Feminism. But don’t be put off if all this sounds very heavy-handed - It's all wrapped up in a very engaging tale populated with Sim’s take on many of his personal heroes including Groucho Marx, Mick Jagger and Oscar Wilde, not to mention the contributions of his artistic collaborator Gerhard who renders Cerebus’ World in immaculate detail. Collected into huge “phonebook-sized” editions (if you can remember phonebooks!) I particularly recommend JAKA’S STORY which follows Cerebus’ stint as Pope and trip to the moon with almost a domestic sit-com, as he must take refuge with his ex-girlfriend and her husband - Watch out for the appearance of a Margaret Thatcher character towards the end and how Sim expertly captures her speech patterns through his lettering skills alone.
COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS - ALL AGES
NEW GODS/FOURTH WORLD SAGA - JACK KIRBY
This was perhaps Kirby’s crowning achievement - and as the man who co-created most of the Marvel Universe (The Avengers, Fantastic 4, X-Men, etc.) this was no mean feat! Kirby wove his story of Interstellar Gods across many different titles including NEW GODS, MISTER MIRACLE and FOREVER PEOPLE. Classic themes of Good vs Evil, Heaven vs Hell and Man vs Superman vs God were all played out in Kirby's dynamic and bombastic style. Although his epic was cut short in mid-flow, many of the characters, such as the extremely evil DARKSEID, continue to endure.
BONE - JEFF SMITH
The cartoony Bones of the title embark upon a series of humourous adventures that give way to a darker Tolkienesque fantasy world, including Dragons, Rat Creatures and Long-Lost Princesses. Smith's open style and often light-hearted approach in the earlier stories don't lose their charm when the story takes a more serious turn. Engaging characters and an intriguing back story hold the interest throughout the nine volumes. Although originally printed in black and white, Scholastic publish their volumes in lush colours. Also recommended is the prequel ROSE with stunning visuals from acclaimed fantasy artist Charles Vess.
LEAVE IT TO CHANCE - JAMES ROBINSON & PAUL SMITH
Featuring the adventures of Chance Falconer, daughter to the world's greatest paranormal detective. Chance and her pet dragon solve the little cases that her dad is too busy for, often at dire personal risk. She faces all manner of supernatural ghosties and beasties in this terrific series, written with great charm by JAMES ROBINSON coupled with lovely artwork by PAUL SMITH. I don't know if there will be any further tales of this girl and her dragon, but these stories are excellent for the Harry Potter fan looking for something a little different.
JACK STAFF - PAUL GRIST
JACK STAFF, the Greatest British Hero You've Never Heard Of. PAUL GRIST excellently blends Tongue-In-Cheek Super-Heroics with Kitchen Sink Drama, Classic Sit-Coms and a healthy dose of British Comic Heroes from the 60's and 70's. Grist's clear line style and expressive cartooning make the characters jump off the page. Half the fun for older readers will be spotting the various references and characters, but the stories also read as straightforward adventures.
BATMAN ADVENTURES - BRUCE TIMM & VARIOUS
BRUCE TIMM's Animated Batman TV series of the 90's gave us an immaculately reimagined Art Deco/Film Noir Gotham City, complete with Heroes, Villains and Femme Fatales. This style has influenced animation for over 20 years - the Star Wars Clone Wars series and Ben 10 both owe their looks to Timm. DC have produced a number of comics and graphic novel tie-ins, most notably MAD LOVE starring the increasingly popular Harley Quinn. Great fun!
MARVEL ESSENTIALS - STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY & VARIOUS
Black and White reprints of most of Marvel's classic back catalogue from the 1960's up to more modern times, starring the Icons of the Marvel Universe such as Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four and many, many others. They also feature classic work from some of the great creators: STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, STEVE DITKO, NEAL ADAMS, GIL KANE, JOHN BUSCEMA and a host of top talent. An excellent and inexpensive way of catching up on the history of your favourite characters and much more fun than wading through Wikipedia!
See also the DC SHOWCASE collections for a similar approach to the DC Universe back catalogue.
Although currently out of print, many of these can still be picked fairly cheaply second hand or online.
See also the DC SHOWCASE collections for a similar approach to the DC Universe back catalogue.
Although currently out of print, many of these can still be picked fairly cheaply second hand or online.
ASTERIX
Many are the tales of the Pint-Sized Gaul who Packs a Super-Punch and his oversized friend who take on the Roman Empire along with much of the Ancient World.
The adventures of Asterix and Obelix have been enchanting children of all ages across the globe for generations and there are many books to choose from. My favourite is ASTERIX AND CLEOPATRA set in Ancient Egypt . . . I'd often wondered how the Sphinx lost its' nose!
The adventures of Asterix and Obelix have been enchanting children of all ages across the globe for generations and there are many books to choose from. My favourite is ASTERIX AND CLEOPATRA set in Ancient Egypt . . . I'd often wondered how the Sphinx lost its' nose!
HERGE'S ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
Hergé's Adventures of TinTin have been part of the cultural landscape for decades. The Boy Detective and his companions have travelled the world and even explored space, much to the delight of children and adults everywhere. With more than 30 different books to choose from you're bound to pick a cracking tale.
KEY CREATORS
ALAN MOORE
You basically can’t go wrong with any of Moore’s stuff - He is undoubtedly the Premier Comics Writer of the last 30 years. His work includes the "True" Story of Jack The Ripper FROM HELL, the Spooky/Horrific/Ground-breaking SWAMP THING, SuperHero as Greek God MARVELMAN/MIRACLEMAN, Anarchy In The UK with V FOR VENDETTA, the Magnificently Intricate WATCHMEN, Super Cop Drama TOP 10, the Mythical & Magical PROMETHEA and THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN with a Cast swiped from the Greatest Literature of All Time! This barely scratches the surface and all are highly recommended. Best to avoid most of the films that have been inspired by his work though, WATCHMEN being the rare exception.
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FRANK MILLERPerhaps best known for his work on DC's BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Miller also produced classic runs on Marvel's DAREDEVIL, the Excellent ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN, Stonking Samurai Sci-Fi RONIN, Historical Epic 300 and None-More-Black Noir SIN CITY.
As a writer he has collaborated with a host of top flight artists for series such as ALL-STAR BATMAN (with Jim Lee), GIVE ME LIBERTY (with Dave Gibbons), ELEKTRA ASSASSIN (with Bill Sienkiewicz) and HARD BOILED (with Geoff Darrow). An amazingly visual stylist and storyteller, Miller's work has influenced generations of comics artists and creators. |
JACK KIRBYKnown as "THE KING" and rightly so. Kirby was one of the founding fathers of the Marvel Universe, co-creating many of the most beloved characters such as THE AVENGERS, FANTASTIC 4 and X-MEN, many with the Legendary Stan Lee. His work proved to be Marvel's "House Style" through much of the 60's and 70's influencing generations of comic fans and professionals. Moving on to DC in the 70's he produced the highly regarded NEW GODS Saga whose characters are still major players in the DC Universe today. Though his ideas grew increasingly wacky and his artwork ever more stylised, he never stopped working, producing off the wall characters and concepts practically until his final moments. Kirby's dynamism, sense of awe and power, and even the kookiest of his creations, are frequently imitated but rarely match the sheer imagination of a true comics legend.
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All comments above are my own personal opinions and recommendations and no official or unofficial endorsement is implied nor should be inferred.
Text and Comics Club Logo © Andy Williams 2017
Images used for review purposes only © respective owners 2017