Now that the weather is warm and finals are beginning, summer is just on the horizon. You know what that means: more free time to read comics! In honor of the impending vacation and the last Musings from the Multiverse post of the quarter, here is a list of the top 10 must-read graphic novels and trade paperbacks (in no particular order) for you to check out over break.
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
This will always be the first graphic novel on any “must read” list. Moore is famous for his “gritty” comics (you may have heard of V for Vendetta), and even though he’s batshit crazy, his writing is great. Watchmen tells the story of an alternate 1980s where history was shaped by morally ambiguous superheroes and the cold realities they face in modern times. Deep, thought provoking and very dark, this is one of the classic comics of all time.
Y: The Last Man by Brian K Vaughn and Pia Guerra
What would happen if one day every creature on earth with a Y chromosome died? What would happen to human civilization of only women were left? What if that happened, but for some reason one New York man and his pet monkey (also male) survived? That’s the premise for this amazing comic series that spans 10 volumes and follows Yorick Brown, his monkey Ampersand and his allies Dr. Mann and secret agent 355 as they try to discover the cause of the male genocide, keep Yorick alive and reunite him with his girlfriend Beth. If you only read one series from this list, make it this one.
The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
This gorgeous noir-style Batman story mixes mobsters and campy villains as the Caped Crusader has to track down a killer murdering gangster on every national holiday. If you enjoyed the film The Dark Knight you’ll love this comic, which was one of the bases of the script.
Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid and Lenil Frances Yu
A modern retelling of Superman’s origins, this is my personal favorite comic of all time. Mark Waid knows more about the Man of Steel than perhaps any other living person, and his passion shows. For anyone who thinks that Superman is outdated or does not fit in the post 9/11 world, read this comic and see how wrong you are.
Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Another multi-volume series, Sandman is written by award-winning novelist Neil Gaiman (Coraline, American Gods, Stardust) and mixes nearly every mythology known to man as it deals with everything from death to diners, with cameos from DC comics superheroes and Shakespeare characters. If you want a challenging but extremely rewarding read, try these.
Batman: Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
If you love a dark and gritty Batman, then read anything by Miller. This dystopian Batman future tale has an aging but still very badass Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham to fight gangs, the government and his former friends.
Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagely
A long-running series in Marvel’s Ultimate universe, this series is a great way to get into a Spider-Man series and not be bogged down by 50 years of continuity. In this series, one of the bases for the upcoming Amazing Spider-man movie, Peter Parker is a high school student when he is bitten by a radioactive spider. Though you may know how the story goes from there, Bendis’ quippy writing is fun and his take on Spider-Man is not to be missed.
Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross
Another dystopian superhero future, this one encompasses all of the DC universe and a generation of heroes that must redeem themselves and prove their traditional views are not outdated in an amoral world. Ross’ art is some of the most breathtaking and life-like in any comic and as always Waid’s writing is genius.
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
For any X-men fans, this story arc from 1980 is a turning point in the X-Men mythos. It is the story of original X-Man Jean Grey’s descent into madness as she becomes the Dark Phoenix, as well as being a tragic love-story between Jean and Scott “Cyclops” Summers. Of all the X-Men stories over the years, this is perhaps the most influential.
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore
You’ve probably heard of the AMC series, but this is the original. If you like zombies or post-apocalyptic stories or dramas of any kind, check out this series. Moore’s art is great and in many ways the visuals of the comic are better than those of the television show.
