60 Comics Everyone Should Read

60 Comics Everyone Should Read
http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/60-comics-everyone-should-read[05/05/2014 08:50:11]
Comics are literature, and this is the canon. Plus, 60 more to read when youve
read and loved these.
posted on J une 10, 2013 at 8:21am EDT
Summer Anne Burton
BuzzFeed Staff
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All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison, illustrated by
Frank Quitely
DC Comics
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The 0508 comic book series that DC Comics claimed would strip down the
Man of Steel, did just that, breathing new life into the superhero with classic,
straightforward storytelling and beautiful art. Timeless.
What to read next if you love it: Astro City, by Kurt Busiek
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller,
illustrated by Klaus J anson and Lynn Varley
DC Comics
Originally published as periodical comics in 86, this is arguably the finest Batman
yarn ever told and inarguably the coolest Robin in all of Robinhood. Frank Miller
is a master of storytelling and the Batman of Dark Knight Returns is 55 years old,
super grumpy, and absolutely perfect. He is accompanied by 13-year-old Carrie
Kelley girl Robin and tenacious badass.
What to read next if you love it: Batman: The Long Halloween, by J eph Loeb &
Tim Sale
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, the run of Brian
Michael Bendis, illustrated by Alex Maleev
Marvel Comics
Bendis is one of the most talented superhero storytellers of our time and the
complex, blind superhero Daredevil is even more compelling than usual in his
capable hands. Bendis Daredevil stories, which ran from 0105, read less like
traditional superhero adventures and more like urban noir detective stories
with just a pinch of heightened senses. His and Maleevs run is collected in a
three-volume ultimate collection.
What to read next if you love it: Daredevil: Born Again, by Frank Miller
Hellboy, by Mike Mignola
Dark Horse Comics
Since first appearing in a San Diego Comic-Con Comic in 93, Hellboy has
appeared in a multitude of comics, books, and two feature films. Hellboy is a
good-hearted demon/superhero summoned from hell to earth as an infant by Nazi
occultists. He grows up to become an agent for the Bureau for Paranormal
Research and Defense, a delightful invention of Mike Mignolas comics world.
The books are adventure stories told with several heaping cups of hilarity, and as
soon as you start them youll be a fan for life. There are many trade paperbacks
collecting the comics the first is Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, and the best are
Conquerer Worm and Wake The Devil.
What to read next if you love it: B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth & Other Stories, by Mike
Mignola
Kingdom Come, by Mark Waid and Alex Ross
DC Comics
This alternate-universe story, originally published in 96, is set in a future where
Superman and Wonder Woman (among other traditional superheroes), are on the
edge of war with a group of young upstart vigilantes. Batman stands between the
two groups, trying to contain both sides of the impending battle that could end the
world. Sound fun? It is! The breathtaking art of Alex Ross doesnt hurt either.
What to read next if you love it: Marvel: Civil War, by Mark Millar
The Maxx, by Sam Kieth
Image Comics
In the universe of The Maxx (9398), there are two worlds: The Outback,
where the titular big purple guy is a superhero protecting a jungle queen, and the
real world, where he is a homeless man protected by a social worker named J ulie
Winters. J ulies own Outback helps her cope, as well, from a personal history of
rape and violence. The Maxx is witty and weird, but also loaded with heavy
emotions and empathy for all of the weirdo characters contained within, even the
villains. The comics are collected in six volumes of trade paperbacks, but the first
few are currently out of print. Theres also a surprisingly faithful animated MTV
adaptation from the 90s, which covers issues 111 of the regular series and can
be viewed online.
What to read next if you love it: Swamp Thing, by Alan Moore
Planetary, by Warren Ellis, illustrated by J ohn
Cassaday
DC Comics
With comics that ran from 9809, Warren Ellis created a sprawling, epic history
of 20th century pop culture in the form of a superhero story. The titular Planetary
organization consists of three superheroes who describe themselves as
archaeologists of the Impossible as they attempt to uncover the secret history of
the 20th century. J oss Whedon wrote that Warren Ellis draws inspiration from so
many cultural wellsprings that his work truly does become a sort of history of the
twentieth century as it exists in popular fiction. But this is no mere pastiche
Ellis both subverts and elevates the elements he takes, making them fit perfectly
his own epic vision. The comic is collected in both trade paperbacks and a
gorgeous two-volume Absolute Planetary hardcover.
What to read next if you love it: Transmetropolitan, by Warren Ellis
Spider-Man: Blue, by J eph Loeb, illustrated by Tim
Sale
Marvel Comics
This limited series (0203) by masters of mood Loeb & Sale is a melancholy
story told primarily in flashbacks, which recounts Peter Spider-Man Parkers
ongoing grief for his long-passed girlfriend Gwen Stacy. Although its a pretty
recent addition to the canon, Blue captures the angst of the Spider-Man story
beautifully.
What to read next if you love it: Hulk: Grey, by J eph Loeb & Tim Sale
Superman: Red Son, by Mark Millar, pencilled by
Dave J ohnson and Kilian Plunkett
DC Comics
The premise of this 03 miniseries is simply What if Superman had been born in
the Soviet Union? The result is the freshest and most exciting possible variation
on the man of steel, and perhaps the best of the many Elseworlds stories in the
ever-expanding DC comics multiverse. The perfect series for anyone who thinks
they dont like Superman.
What to read next if you love it: Superman: Earth One, by J . Michael Straczynski
The Uncanny X-Men, and run of Chris Claremont,
illustrated by J ohn Byrne
Marvel Comics
If youre trying to figure out how to break into the complex world of X-Men,
seeking out Chris Claremont is your best bet. He wrote the Uncanny X-Men from
75 to 91, and in that time was largely responsible for fleshing out the strong
female leads of the series and introducing smart, complex literary themes to the
mutants adventurous lives. The Essential Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 2 collects both
the Dark Phoenix Saga, arguably the best X-Men story of all time, and also
Days of Future Past, the popular tale that is next in line for the X-Men film
franchise.
What to read next if you love it: Astonishing X-Men, the run of J oss Whedon
Watchmen, by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave
Gibbons
DC Comics
One of the most acclaimed comics ever published, Watchmen is a work of art
and a masterpiece of structure, dialogue, plot, art, and every other goddamn
piece of the comics-creating puzzle. Originally serialized from 8687, the
collected Watchmen was the only graphic novel to appear on Times 2005 All-
Time 100 Greatest Novels list, where Lev Grossman wrote that it was a heart-
pounding, heartbreaking read and a watershed in the evolution of a young
medium.
What to read next if you loved it: Powers, by Brian Michael Bendis
The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island and other
books, by Herg
Casterman
First appearing in 29, the adventures of Belgian reporter Tintin and his dog
Snowy were written and primarily (and delightfully) illustrated by Georges Herg
Remi. Herg created a world of adventure that has since had a widespread
influence on both comic artists and feisty children the world over.
What to read next if you loved it: The Adventures of Asterix, by Ren Goscinny
and Albert Uderzo
Airtight Garage, by Moebius
Heavy Metal / Marvel Comics
A comic strip that is equally compelling and experimental, by the artist and writer
J ean Moebius Giraud. The strips originally appeared in the French magazine
Metal Hurlant (in America: Heavy Metal) between 7680, and have since been
compiled in books. J ournalist and critic Chris Mautner wrote that Airtight Garage
is the only comic I have ever read that feels alive. It digresses against itself,
doubles back, thinks, laughs, pauses, lurches, and eventually gracefully dances.
What to read next if you loved it: Cerebus, by Dave Sim
Akira, by Katsuhiro Otomo
Dark Horse Comics
The groundbreakingly artistic dystopian cyberpunk story Akira initially ran from
8290 in Young Magazine in J apan and was later one of the first J apanese
manga series to be translated and republished in its entirety in the U.S. The
comics creator, Katsuhiro Otomo, went on to write and direct an anime version of
Akira, which was released in 1988 and is considered a landmark film in the
genre.
What to read next if you love it: Fullmetal Alchemist, by Hiromu Arakawa
Bone, by J eff Smith
Cartoon Books
Independently published from 9104, J eff Smiths Bone is the rare case of a
book that is totally appropriate for children but equally entertaining for adults.
Smith was heavily influenced by both Moebius and Walt Kellys Pogo, as well as
more traditional fantasy novels. The result is a singular smoothie of whimsical
funnies and epic fantasy adventure.
What to read next if you love it: Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai
Fables: Legends in Exile and other collections, by Bill
Willingham, illustrated by various artists
DC Comics
Fables, a series that began in 2002, deals with various characters from folklore
and fairy tale who have been forced from their homeland and formed a
community in New York City known as Fabletown. Fables has won 14 Eisner
Awards and has been referred to as the best comics series currently being
produced. Popular television series such as Grimm and Once Upon a Time are
thought to be inspired by (/ripping off) the comic, which is still ongoing and
awesome.
What to read next if you love it: Jack of Trades, by Bill Willingham
The Invisibles, by Grant Morrison, illustrated by
various artists
DC Comics
Following the adventures of a cell of The Invisible College, a secret organization
battling against physical and psychic oppression, The Invisibles (9400) is
eccentric Scottish writer Grant Morrisons flawed but boundary-smashing
masterpiece. Morrison has claimed that the magical influence of the book made
him sick, and also that much of the story was told to him by aliens who abducted
him in Katmandu, and yet the work itself is gripping and complex, pulling you into
a world so trippy youll have trouble seeing straight when you look up. There are
seven trade paperbacks, starting with Say You Want a Revolution and a single
volume, 1,500-page omnibus edition.
What to read next if you love it: 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa
Lone Wolf and Cub, by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by
Goseki Kojima.
Futabasha / Dark Horse Comics
First published in 70, Lone Wolf and Cub is one of most critically acclaimed and
influential manga series ever. The story spans 28 300-plus-page volumes, totaling
over 8,700 pages, and is beautifully drawn and executed. The series tells the tale
of Ogami Itt, who is forced to take the path of an assassin after his reputation is
marred by false accusations. He seeks revenge on the clan that disgraced him,
bringing his 3-year-old son Daigor along with him. The series has inspired
seven films and two TV series. Dark Horse Comics has released the full series in
North America, translated and in 28 small paperback volumes.
What to read next if you love it: Nausica of the Valley of the Wind, by Hayao
Miyazaki
Preacher, by Garth Ennis, illustrated by Steve Dillon
DC Comics
From 95 to 00, Garth Ennis wrote the most profane and violent series going in a
world full of profane and violent comics. Preacher chronicles the story of J esse
Custer, a preacher in a small Texas town who is possessed by a supernatural
creature. Genesis, the creature who possesses him, is the product of an angel
and a demon and contains both pure goodness and pure evil and has power that
rivals God. Custer, now bonded to Genesis and a superhero of sorts, goes on a
trip seeking God, accompanied by ex-girlfriend Tulip and a vampire named
Cassidy. Influenced by the power of J ohn Wayne and Clint Eastwood, Ennis
created many of the most memorable new characters in recent comics history
and entertains the reader all the way through. There are nine trade paperbacks
that anthologize the entire series, starting with Preacher: Gone to Texas.
What to read next if you love it: Sin City, by Frank Miller
The Sandman series, by Neil Gaiman, art by various
artists, covers by Dave McKean
DC Comics
Many people consider Neil Gaimans Sandman (8996) series to be the very
best in the history of the medium. Certainly, the series sets an incredibly high bar
for what comics can do, the scope of the stories they tell, and the beauty of the
art within. Makal Gilmore wrote in Rolling Stone that it is the most imaginative
and transfixing book in mainstream comics today and also the most radical. It
tells eerie, loopy, sometimes desolating tales about capricious, ill-starred gods
and frail humans, and it pulls off the rather neat trick of making Death, at long
last, something to die for. Yet even in its most otherworldly moments, Sandmans
greatest (and most disturbing) strength is that all its horrors, and all its hopes, are
only as profound and familiar as the human heart itself. Ready to have an
adventure? Start with the first trade paperback, Preludes and Nocturnes.
What to read next if you love it: Cages, by Dave McKean
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by
Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard
Image Comics
Before it was famously adapted by AMC, The Walking Dead took the zombie
trend of the early 00s to the printed page with gory, unforgiving action starring
the poor soul Rick Grimes and his makeshift team, as well as the creepiest villain
this side of the 21st century, The Governor. The comic is ongoing, meaning once
you catch up with the 17 current trade paperbacks (plus a new one to be released
later this month), youll have a fun excuse to visit your local comic book shop on
Wednesdays and keep up with th braaaaaiiiiiiins.
What to read next if you love it: The Punisher MAX, by Garth Ennis
Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by
Pia Guerra and others
DC Comics
A dystopian tale that ran from 0208 and now consists of a series of 10
paperbacks, Y: The Last Man is the story of Yorick Brown and his pet monkey
Ampersand, who appear to be the last male mammals left on earth. The collapse
of the earths infrastructure after all men on earth have simultaneously died
provides the fascinating backdrop to Yorick and Ampersands adventures. Y: The
Last Mans somewhat playful premise belies its complex allegories and the
abiding affection youll feel for many of the characters long after youre through.
What to read next if you love it: Duncan the Wonder Dog, by Adam Hines
Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson
Andrews McMeel Publishing
The adventures of precocious 6-year-old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes
delved regularly into matters of ethics, environmentalism, the problems of public
education, and a boatload of philosophical and scientific conundrums. Oh, and it
was also hilarious. The strip ran in papers from 8595 and represents the rare
case of something as universally loved and popular as it was brilliant and
subversive. In 05, Andrews McMeel Publishing released a gorgeous three-
volume edition that collects all 3,160 Calvin strips.
What to read next if you love it: Robot Dreams, by Sara Varon
The Far Side, by Gary Larson
Andrews McMeel
A single-panel comic that ran from 8095 and introduced an entire generation to
surrealism. The strips humor was based on weird anthropomorphic situations,
logical fallacies, and inexplicable events. The enduring mystery of the always-
mysterious Far Side really seems to be how did something so completely bizarre
end up carried by almost 2,000 newspapers and translated into 17 languages?!
Thanks, Gary Larson, for making weird kids feel a little less weird for all those
years.
What to read next if you love it: Feiffer, by J ules Feiffer
Krazy Kat, by George Herriman
Sunday Press
A newspaper strip that ran from 1344 and chronicled the love triangle between
the titular Krazy Kat, Ignatz Mouse, and the bulldog Offissa Bull Pupp. The
premise is slapstick: Ignatz tries to throw bricks at the lovelorn Krazy Kat, who
interprets the flying objects as love letters, while Bull Pupp attempts to intervene
and keep the peace. But Krazy Kat is visually and verbally elaborate and
imaginative, and was one of the first comics celebrated as serious art and
literature. Among the cartoonists who cite Krazy Kat as among their strongest
influences: Charles M. Schulz, Patrick McDonnell, Bill Watterson, Will Eisner,
Chris Ware, Sam Hurt, and J ules Ffeiffer. Where would we be without Krazy Kat?
I dare not imagine.
What to read next if you love it: Eyebeam, by Sam Hurt
Moomin, by Tove J ansson & Lars J ansson
Drawn & Quarterly
Finnish Tove J anssons chapter books for children have been celebrated
worldwide for decades. Her newspaper comic strip, set in the same Moominvalley
as her books, ran from 4748 and then from 5475 (in latter years, the strips
were then taken over by her younger brother Lars), and was largely forgotten up
until recently, when Drawn & Quarterly began reprinting the strips in beautiful
hardbound editions, seven in total. These comics are earnest and charming,
recounting the adventures of Moomintroll and his family, and they celebrate
family, food, nature, and adventure. What more do you need?
What to read next if you love it: Little Nemo, by Winsor McKay
Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz
Fantagraphics
Arguably (?) the greatest comic strip there is, Peanuts is of course the story of
Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their many friends. Peanuts ran from 50 to
00, with 17,897 strips in total, all of them written and illustrated by Charles M.
Schulz. In an issue of The Comics Journal, cartoonist Tom Batiuk wrote that just
beneath the cheerful surface were vulnerabilities and anxieties that we all
experienced, but were reluctant to acknowledge. By sharing those feelings with
us, Schulz showed us a vital aspect of our common humanity, which is, it seems
to me, the ultimate goal of great art. Fantagraphics is in the midst of releasing
beautiful volumes of the entire run, that will total 25 volumes once complete.
Additionally, most of the comics are available legally online at GoComics.
What to read next if you love it: Pogo, by Walt Kelly
Life Is Hell by Matt Groening
A weekly comic strip by Simpsons creator and genius Matt Groening, which
began as a self-published comic book in 77 and ran as a weekly strip in
alternative newspapers from 8012. The strip explored a wide range of topics
such as love being hell, school being hell, and life being hell. Its dark humor ran
along the same lines as the early, great Simpsons, and the books that collect
these strips are treasures that should be on everyones bookshelves. Akbar & J eff
forever.
What to read next if you love it: Bloom County, by Berke Breathed
21: The Story of Roberto Clemente, by Wilfred
Santiago
Fantagraphics
A joyfully illustrated non-fiction biography of Puerto Ricos great baseball player,
Roberto Clemente. 21, published in 11, captures both the grit of Clementes
scrappy style of play, and the beauty of the generous way he lived his entire life.
Good for all ages, and should be required reading for kids in need of a hero.
What to read next if you love it: Cross Game, by Mitsuru Adachi
Buddha, by Osamu Tezuka
Ushio Shuppan / Vertical Inc.
This non-traditional biography of Siddhartha/Buddha was written by the genius
Osamu Tezuka and originally published in J apan from 72 to 83. The translated
North American version of the comic is available in eight total volumes. The
series is gritty and irreverent, at times downright slapstick, but also deeply
thoughtful, spiritual, and inspiring. The best of manga.
What to read next if you love it: Daytripper, by Fbio Moon and Gabriel B
From Hell, by Alan Moore, illustrated by Eddie
Campbell
Top Shelf Productions / Knockabout Comics
Alan Moores most literary work, originally published from 89 to 96 and collected
in 99, is an intricately woven speculative look behind the scenes of J ack the
Ripper. To give you an idea of the scope of Moores aim here, there are about 30
some-odd pages of annotations in the back of this giant tome. Reading From Hell
is a headfirst dive into a world of conspiracy theory, terrifying horror, and the
inner workings of a sociopaths mind. Not for the faint of heart, but one of the
greatest achievements in modern comics.
What to read next if you love it: V For Vendetta, by Alan Moore
Louis Riel, by Chester Brown
Drawn & Quarterly
Chester Browns collected-in-03 comic-strip biography of the possibly insane
19th-century Mtis leader Louis Riel skips across the lines between journalism,
historical writing, memoir, and essay. Brown doesnt seem to have made up his
mind about how exactly he feels about Riel, and the reader is left with as many
questions as answers at the books end which is precisely what makes the
book groundbreaking and utterly delightful.
What to read next if you love it: Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer, by Ben
Katchor
Maus, by Art Spiegelman
Pantheon
Considered by many to be the pinnacle of comics-as-literature, Maus is Art
Spiegelmans 1991 blend of history, fiction, and memoir. The novel depicts
Spiegelman himself as he interviews his father about his experiences as a
Holocaust survivor, and then tells his fathers story, beginning in the years leading
up to World War II. The story is told with anthropomorphic animals J ews are
mice, Germans are cats. Speigelman himself spoke in an interview about why the
comics format works so well for Maus: Im literally giving a form to my fathers
words and narrative, and that form for me has to do with panel size, panel
rhythms, and visual structures of the page. [] More than a few readers have
described [Maus] as the most compelling of any [Holocaust] depiction, perhaps
because only the caricatured quality of comic art is equal to the unseeing reality
of an experience beyond all reason.
What to read next if you love it: Berlin, by J ason Lutes
Palestine, by J oe Sacco
Fantagraphics
An intense work of comics-as-journalism chronicling Saccos experiences in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip from December 91 to J anuary 92. Sacco portrays
the plight of the Palestinian people, details their history, and doesnt shy away
from presenting the squalor of some of the conditions he witnessed. The book
also plays with the idea of whether a journalist can truly be a neutral observer as
Sacco attempts to document but also involves himself in the lives of the people
he encounters. This wonderful, groundbreaking work was originally published in
96.
What to read next if you love it: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, by Guy
Delisle
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott
McCloud
Tundra Publishing / HarperCollins
Essential reading for, well, understanding comics. McCloud breaks down the way
that stories are told visually and explains everything from smiley faces to speech
bubbles. Fascinating stuff that will stick with you long after youve breezed
through this book. Published in 93 before many of the books on this list, there
are elements of Understanding Comics that are now dated, but its still worth
reading one of the most insightful books about designing graphic user interfaces
ever written (according to Apple Macintosh co-creator Andy Hertzfeld).
What to read next if you love it: Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by J essica
Abel & Matt Madden
American Elf, by J ames Kochalka
Top Shelf Productions
From 19982012, J ames Kochalka documented the everyday trials, joys, and
minutiae of life with a comic strip every single day. His honest, frills-free approach
to writing and drawing has been praised by the likes of comic-writing legend
Frank Miller, who said that [Kochalka] reminds me of me when I was six years
old and I came into my mothers kitchen with a bunch of sheets of typing paper
folded over and stapled in the middle that were covered with drawings and I said,
Mom, this is what Im going to do for the rest of my life. Ive learned a lot from
people like Kochalka because they do stuff that shouldnt work but does.
What to read next if you love it: Drinking at the Movies by J ulia Wertz
American Splendor, by Harvey Pekar
Dark Horse / DC Comics
Harvey Pekar began chronicling his normal existence in Cleveland, Ohio back in
1976. Interested in comics, but not an artist himself, Pekar recruited his friend
Robert Crumb, among many other talents, to illustrate his tales of working as a
fire clerk, the story of his relationship with wife J oyce and their adopted daughter,
and his struggles with money. The comics were adapted into an eponymous film
starring Paul Giamatti in 2003.
What to read next if you love it: The Poor Bastard, by J oe Matt
Blankets, by Craig Thompson
An autobiographical memoir by the gifted artist and writer Craig Thompson,
Blankets is as true and earnest as stories come, earning its status as a favorite of
both comics readers and normals alike. The book is big and breathtakingly
gorgeous, but its greatest strength is the sincerity and ease of Thompsons
storytelling. Thompson lyrically relates the tale on his coming of age, his first love,
and his struggles with faith. Blankets won prizes at all three major comic book
awards in 04, and it has already influenced a new generation of comics artists.
What to read next if you love it: Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story, by Frederik
Peeters
Clumsy, by J effrey Brown
Published in 03, Clumsy introduced many to the painfully awkward, self-aware,
sweet world of J effrey Brown and his relationships with girls. Brown depicts
himself honestly as needy and cloying, but also sincere and thoughtful; and as he
navigates a long-distance relationship, its hard not to find yourself cringing and
crying and celebrating along with him. Once youre done, he will feel like a friend
whose candid confessions make you feel a little less alone.
What to read next if you love it: Perfect Example, by J ohn Porcellino
Epileptic, by David B.
LAssociation / Pantheon / Fantagraphics
One of the finest memoirs comic or not of recent years, Epileptic is French
master David Bs story of growing up with his older brother J ean-Christoph, who
is struck by epilepsy at age 11. As their parents dragged them about seeking a
cure, J ean-Christoph became increasingly sick, and David became increasingly
angry, releasing his frustration by drawing fantastic, elaborate battle scenes.
Honest, elaborate, and deeply stirring.
What to read next if you love it: Capacity, by Theo Ellsworth
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel
Houghton Mifflin
Longtime writer of the strip Dykes to Watch Out For, Bechdel turned to her own
family and childhood with her first graphic memoir. Fun Home took Bechdel over
seven years to complete, due to a rigorous process that included poring over
family photos and photographing herself posing for each human figure in the
book. Fun Home is the story of little Alison and her father, and the rest of the
details are perhaps better left for when you read it. It is groundbreaking and
revelatory.
What to read next if you love it: Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and
Me, by Ellen Forney
My Trouble with Women, by Robert Crumb
Last Gasp
A good introduction to the wild world world of Robert Crumb, if youre into that
sort of thing. An influential storyteller and artist, Crumb has said that his three
passions in life are sex, music, and art. This collection focuses on the first of
those passions and on Crumbs particular fixation on Amazonian women, feet and
legs, and bubble butts. Crumbs work isnt for the easily offended but it is
essential reading for both comics enthusiasts and those who share his, uh,
enthusiasm for beautiful women.
What to read next if you love it: Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary, by
J ustin Green
One! Hundred! Demons!, by Lynda Barry
Sasquatch Books
Originally serialized in Salon and then published in 05, this book enthusiastically
and joyfully dives into an ocean of memories, joy, and lists. Barry writes and
draws loopy cluttered narratives about topics such as her personal demons, the
smells of peoples houses, the colors of head lice, and her rescue of abused
dogs. Delightful and celebratory, this one will make you happy.
What to read next if you love it: My New York Diary, by J ulie Doucet
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
LAssociation
Iranian-born French artist and writer Marjane Satrapis brilliant and candid 00
memoir of her childhood and early adult years in Iran, during the Islamic
revolution and its aftermath. Expertly told and incredibly humanizing, one hopes
that children worldwide will grow up reading this book and beginning to
understand that we are all more alike than one might imagine.
What to read next if you love it: Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda, by J ean-Philippe
Stassen
Stitches: A Memoir, by David Small
W.W. Norton & Company
The story of what a young David Small endured when the radiation his father
exposed him to through his radiology practice took its toll and a growth began to
form on Davids neck. At age 14, he underwent surgery to remove the cyst and
woke up from the operation to find he no longer had a voice one of his vocal
cords had been removed and he was virtually mute. J ules Feiffer wrote about the
09 graphic novel and said, Like the boy in this autobiographical novel my first
reading of Stitches left me speechless. And in awe. David Small presents us with
a profound and moving gift of graphic literature that has the look of a movie and
reads like a poem. Spare in words, painful in pictures, Small, in a style of dry
menace, draws us a boys life that you wouldnt want to live but you cant put
down. From its first line four pages in, Mama had her little cough, we know that
we are in the hands of a master.
What to read next if you love it: Dont Go Where I Cant Follow, by Anders Nilsen
Aya of Yop City, by Marguerite Abouet, illustrated by
Clment Oubrerie
Drawn & Quarterly
Marguerite Abouet was born on the Ivory Coast and later moved to France,
where she met her husband Clment, an artist. Aya is a collaboration between
them that stemmed from her desire to realistically portray the Africa she grew up
in, as opposed to the famished stereotypes she saw in the media. The first book,
published in 05, was Abouets first venture into graphic novels and her first
published work, and she has subsequently published five more Aya books to
great success.
What to read next if you love it: American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
Black Hole, by Charles Burns
Kitchen Sink Press / Fantagraphics / Pantheon
Avant-garde writer and illustrator Charles Burns originally published the comics of
Black Hole from 9506. The comics tell the nightmarish tale of a group of
teenagers in the mid-70s who all contract a mutant STD over the summer that
causes them to have a veritable grab bag of bizarre physical mutations. The
teens become social outcasts and seek seclusion from society, drawing closer to
one another. Metaphor much? A film adaptation of the story has been in the
works for many years and has involved (and then uninvolved) Neil Gaiman,
Alexandre Aja, David Fincher, and Rupert Sanders.
What to read next if you love it: A Childs Life, by Phoebe Gloeckner
Bottomless Belly Button, by Dash Shaw
Fantagraphics
Unbelievably, Brooklynite Dash Shaw was not yet 25 years old when he finished
his 720-page epic Bottomless Belly Button, which tells the story of the Loony
family as they cope with the divorce of parents Maggie and David. Rough
cartoony drawings are paired with a mature, emotional story line; the effect is
something like a ghost punching you in the gut.
What to read next if you love it: George Sprott, 18941975, by Seth
Box Office Poison, by Alex Robinson
First published in single-issue form from 9600, Box Office Poison is Alex
Robinsons black-and-white story of the drama-infested waters of New York
young-adult relationships. Robinsons stories are realistic in the are you spying
on my life? kind of way, and this contains a multitude of fun pop-culture
references, from Spinal Tap to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Reading BOP is a
lot like hanging out with your friends.
What to read next if you love it: Local, by Brian Wood
The Contract with God Trilogy, by Will Eisner
Baronet Books
Will Eisner began his comic writing career in 36 and continued to write and draw
comics for the next 60-plus years, completing his last graphic novel the year
before he died. But when he published A Contract with God in 78, he popularized
the term graphic novel and changed comics forever. The Comics Journal called
the book, which collects the stories of J ewish tenement dwellers in New York
City, the masterpiece of one of the mediums first true artists. Eisner followed
the first Dropsie Avenue book with two more in the following years, and they are
all collected together by Baronet Books.
What to read next if you love it: When the Wind Blows, by Raymond Briggs
The Collected Essex County, by J eff Lemire
The introduction to the collected Essex County (published in 09) was written by
Darwyn Cooke and reads Essex County is a tremendous achievement. This
heartfelt piece of graphic literature surpasses its form to stand as an enduring
example of the finest in Canadian literature. Hes right, this collection leaves
good comic in the dust as it sails into the field of good literature and beyond.
What to read next if you love it: La Perdida, by J essica Abel
Ghost World, by Daniel Clowes
Fantagraphics
Cult classic Ghost World, originally serialized from 93 to 97, is all angst and
alienation and cool girls who go from being the friends you wish you had to the
realistically disappointing people that we all accidentally become.
What to read next if you love it: Hate: Buddy Does Seattle, by Peter Bagge
Its a Good Life, If You Dont Weaken, by Seth
Drawn & Quarterly
Fiction presented as autobiography and featuring Seth himself, along with friends
such as fellow cartoonist Chester Brown. The story follows Seths obsession with
and search for a Canadian cartoonist named Kalo who had contributed to the
New Yorker. Since the book was presented as non-fiction upon release, some
reviewers tried to seek out Kalo themselves, but he is a figment of Seths
impressive imagination. Beautifully rendered, as all of his work is.
What to read next if you love it: Hicksville, by Dylan Horrocks
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, by Chris
Ware
Pantheon Books
Considered by The New Yorker to be the first formal masterpiece of the
medium, when released in 00, Jimmy Corrigan is the story of the titular
character meeting his father for the first time as a middle-aged man. Flashbacks
show J immys lonely childhood; while his active imagination depicts him as The
Smartest Kid on Earth, Ware also flashes back to the characters grandfather, a
lonely boy whose father is abusive. The story is so densely rich, packed with
graphic delights and somber realizations, but mostly its heartbreaking so
heartbreaking that youll occasionally have to put it down, collect yourself, and
start reading again as your heart sinks further and further into your gut. A
masterpiece, indeed.
What to read next if you love it: Building Stories, by Chris Ware
Love & Rockets, by Gilbert & J aime Hernandez
Fantagraphics
From 82 to 96, Los Bros Hernandez penned the cult-favorite Love & Rockets, a
sprawling comic containing, among other treasures, the magical realism of
Gilberts Palomar, and the locas chicano punks of J aimes Hoppers 13. Sound
complicated? Its rich and long history means that it is, but its worth diving into
anyway for all the magic and laughter contained herein. Fantagraphics has
recently collected the best of each brothers main story lines into single-volume
collections, so thats a good place to start.
What to read next if you love it: Strangers in Paradise, by Terry Moore
Mother Come Home, by Paul Hornschemeier
Dark Horse Books
This book will haunt you long after you read it. The premise is simply a father
and son coping with the death of a wife and mother, respectively, deploying
varying types of escapism and fantasy while leaving much of what transpires
between them unsaid. Released in 04, this is a prime example of what graphic
novels can do that pictureless literature cannot, as it conveys so much of its
somber emotion through drawings, color, and format.
What to read next if you love it: Swallow Me Whole, by Nate Powell
The Push Man and Other Stories, by Yoshihiro
Tatsumi
Drawn & Quarterly
Originally published in 69 and reintroduced to a new North American audience by
Adrian Tomine in 05, Tatsumis comic vignettes tell the short stories of sexual
deviants and disturbed minds. Tatsumis artwork is gorgeous and evocative, but
this wont make you feel good the characters that populate these pages are
dismal and desolate. His work predates most American alternative comics and is
smarter and bolder than much of what came before and after.
What to read next if you love it: A Zoo in Winter, by J iro Taniguchi
Summer Blonde, by Adrian Tomine
Drawn & Quarterly
Tomine is, at least artistically, the best in the game. He is an artistic perfectionist
whose every panel is as gorgeous and meticulous as the last. The short stories of
Summer Blonde, collected in 03 from Tomines independent comic Optic Nerve,
are naturalistic and quiet, with a heavy seriousness and lonely protagonists who
have difficulty relating to others. The result is unnervingly realistic and bleak.
What to read next if you love it: Ice Haven, by Daniel Clowes
What a Wonderful World, by Inio Asano
VIZ Media LLC
A J apanese manga published in the early aughts, containing nine interconnected
vignettes featuring the economic and personal crises of a variety of its mostly
aimless young characters. Beautifully drawn and melancholy as all get out, the
comics equivalent of a Death Cab for Cutie album. Available in two cute
translated volumes in North America.
What to read next if you love it: Curses, by Kevin Huizenga
Why Are You Doing This?, by J ason
Fantagraphics
J ason tells straightforward stories with a meticulous attention to detail when it
comes to both pacing and his beautiful artwork. In Why Are You Doing This?,
released in 05, a depressed twentysomething protagonist is drawn into a murder
plot and sets out to clear his name. Like Wes Anderson meets Hitchcock, but a
comic. J asons work is poetry. Beautiful and frightening. Redemptive and
hopeless. He is the Kafka and Keats of the comic world. Sherman Alexie
What to read next if you love it: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli

60 Comics Everyone Should Read

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