THE COMIX-TEN #12: TOP 10 TRADES/GRAPHIC NOVELS EVERYONE SHOULD OWN

[Joel Phillips]

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/comix10_logo.gif" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">The Top 10 Trades/Graphic Novels Everyone Should Own

Writers: Robin Lewis, Raul Grau, Jordan T. Maxwell, Mitch Brown and Jon Hancock
Editor: Joel Phillips

For many of today’s comic book readers, there is little that can beat the joy of a really great trade. There’s something decidedly “grown-up” about reading your favorite works of graphic storytelling in a larger format. What’s more, trades and graphic novels allow you to experience a story larger than the average 22-page comic allows, thus ensuring a deeper, richer reading experience.

But what graphic novels and story collections are the ones you absolutely HAVE to own? The ones that provide the best stories, the most bang for their buck, and help to enhance any bookshelf comics collection? We asked five of our writers that very question, and here’s what they came up with. These are the Top 10 Trades/Graphic Novels Everyone Should Own.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/images/avatars/captainbritain.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="Robin Lewis">First up is our latest ComiX-Ten rookie, Robin Lewis:

I wanted my list to have ten wildly different entries, each giving the reader a unique experience unlike anything else on the shelf. Also, if the promise of variety isn't enough to tempt you, many of these creators are frightening ne'er-do-wells who will hurt you in unspecified ways if you don't immediately purchase each and every book they've ever done. Don't say I didn't warn you.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick10.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#10: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright (Dark Horse Comics)
By Bryan Talbot

An alternate history tale, this one, and an absolute corker at that. Luther Arkwright weaves his way through time and space to investigate strange goings-on in a different reality. Fascist puritanism is beating down the heart of England, and a man named Cromwell is at the rancid heart of it. To say more would ruin one of the most unique tales out there. Talbot is a true master of the medium, being that rare creature: the artist who can also write. His storytelling ability, whether in the action scenes, moments of silent contemplation, or the brutal and terrifying visions of the alternate England, is incredible. It reads like something Michael Moorcock would have done if he could draw. A truly original work in comics, and well worth searching out.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick9.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#9: Bone (Cartoon Books)
By Jeff Smith

Since the whole damn thing is now available in one book you have no excuse for not owning this. Here's the pitch: the three Bone cousins are run out of town. Separated, they become lost, meet the beautiful girl, the stupid, stupid rat creatures and a host of other memorable creations, enter a mysterious forest and have adventures to shame many a best-selling fantasy novel. Dwarfing most other comics with its scope and ambition, Bone will repay you the long hours of reading it with enjoyment and delight. It's an epic tale, and like most epic tales, could do some serious damage if you drop it on your foot. Careful now.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick8.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#8: Persepolis (Johnathan Cape)
By Marjane Satrapi

One of the advantages of living where I do is the fact that my local comic book store is the finest this green and pleasant land has to offer. Seriously: it's won awards and everything. Asking recently for something 'different', I was handed this gem of a book. It's the story of a girl's childhood in the days of the Iranian Revolution. Like Maus, it's an autobiographical tale that teaches as much as it entertains, and like Maus, it's told from within the frame of a family, showing us the history and culture of a country through its eyes. It's an emotionally shattering book, but it's never weighed down by the heavy issues and historical baggage that surround it. A second volume is expected any day. I can't wait.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick7.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#7: Lost Girl (NBM/Comicslit)
By Nabiel Kanan

Another recommendation from The Bloke In The Comic Store, and another miniature masterpiece. It is, as the title suggests, about a lost girl. Two lost girls, in fact, though both are found by the end. One is missing and searched for by the police, while the other is just....lost. The second girl is the one we follow as she goes on a dull holiday with her family, meets and is then disappointed by boys, quarrels with her friend, and bumps into a 'crazy car-thief girl' (who demonstrates a probably infallible method of stealing a VW Beetle) who is given to lying, stealing, and possibly giving our lost girl the key to everything she wants, even though she never knew she wanted it in the first place. There are wonderful little touches of magic throughout the book, both in the story and on the part of the author. His command of expression and body language is frankly astonishing, matched only by the ease with which he writes convincing teenage dialogue. Many a writer has come a cropper trying to 'get down with the kiddies' and write about them as well as for them, but Nabiel Kanan's words have the rare ring of authenticity. A treasure.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick6.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#6: Cerebus: Jaka's Story (Aardvark Vanaheim Inc.)
By Dave Sim and Gerhard

Ah, Dave Sim. Comicdom's own pariah, sent out into the cold after he went a bit, you know, funny. In the head. Whatever his faults (and they appear to be legion), his talent should be unquestioned. The most ambitious single comic ever made, the 300 issue opus charting the life of a bad-tempered aardvark recently reached its climax with the death of the lead character, and the apparent end of Sim's involvement with comics in any way whatsoever. A crying shame, though few will mourn his loss. By the end of Cerebus most had thrown up their hands and left in disgust over Sim's increasingly unhinged view of life, politics, and, most of all, women. This particular story is from back before all the controversy kicked off, and Dave was still the feted darling child of the independent comic scene. Cerebus plays a smaller role than usual, letting the spotlight fall on Jaka and her new beau, the innocent Rick, and their stumbling love-affair. It's a wonderful book, full of beautifully drawn characters (including a fantastic Oscar Wilde, a cross-dressing Groucho Marx and an odious Mrs. Thatcher), stunning Gerhard backgrounds, and a central plot that breaks your heart. This is probably one of his most accessible works, showcasing an unmatched command of expression, comedy and dialogue while avoiding the cosmic themes of earlier (and later) stories. Even the lettering's great. Get it now, because it doesn't look like he'll be doing any more.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick5.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#5: From Hell (Eddie Campbell Comics)
By Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

As Alan Moore himself acknowledges, the story of Jack the Ripper has been done to death. Movies, TV mini-series, books, fake diaries, etc, etc. The last thing we needed was a brick-thick graphic novel on the sadistic butcher. I therefore started reading From Hell with a sense of trepidation: would Moore just give us another re-telling (though almost certainly an excellent one) of the same old tale? Oh well, I'd give it a shot. Five hours later I set the book down and poured myself a long drink of whiskey. I felt exhausted. It was obviously a masterpiece, but I didn't know of what. It was about London, class, the last gasp of the Victorian era, Masonry, corruption, insanity, the "Ripper" phenomenon, the dear cost of death and the cheap price of life. And, of course, it was about a murderer. I can't think of a more terrifying figure in comics than the good doctor Moore and Campbell show us: insane, coldly hating, forever staring at us with those burning eyes, eventually fading into pathetic debilitation. A truly horrifying figure, and one of the most disturbing portrayals of evil I have ever seen. As in many of Moore's best works, he was blessed with the perfect artist for the subject matter: Eddie Campbell's jagged faces and stark architecture form a haunting and authentic London, the perfect place for Gull to ply his bloody trade. Moore himself has never been more astonishing: every page is awash with ideas and characters. In the copious notes in the appendix a greater understanding of his aims becomes clear: it doesn't matter to him who actually performed the murders; what matters is the act itself. From Hell is a book about murder; those who commit murder, and those who are its victims.

I'm still not sure I understand all of it, but I know I have to read it again soon.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick4.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#4: Batman: Year One (DC Comics)
By Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

No-one can come to a Batman comic without some form of foreknowledge of what they're going to be reading. It doesn't matter if they've only seen the films, or only remember Adam West throwing a BIFF in the direction of Frank Gorshin; they know something about the character. But...just imagine, for a moment, that you knew nothing. Bruce Wayne was simply some idiot with two first names you hadn't met, the Joker was a card you threw away before you started playing poker, and Gotham was a small town in Nottinghamshire, England. Then, one day, you happen, quite by chance, upon a comic: Batman: Year One.

Imagine the impact it would have had. Here, in four short chapters, the whole of the Batman legend is built up and given to you in probably the best example of comic-book storytelling there ever was. Not a single line of script is wasted, not a single pencil-stroke out of place. Take something away and it would have been less; add something and it would have been too much. It's so simple; we see Batman learn his trade and start his long career as crime's worst nightmare, and at the same time we see Gordon doing what he can to serve and protect in a corrupt city. No super-powered supporting cast, no sidekick, no arch-enemy, and it's still the Batman story that sticks in my mind the most. At once the perfect origin tale for a super-hero and a wonderfully atmospheric comic-book noir in its own right, Year One is, for me, the quintessential Batman story.

Someone else will pick The Dark Knight Returns anyway.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick3.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#3: Watchmen (Titan Books)
By Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Well, honestly: did you really expect this to not be on the list? Getting on for twenty years old and it's still streets ahead of almost everything on the shelves today. The finest super-hero story ever told, and certainly the most influential comic of its type in the last thirty years. It's sort of pointless to try and sum up this vast novel in one short paragraph, so I won't try. That said, if you've enjoyed The Authority, Powers, New X-Men, District X, Sleeper, or any other decent comic book from the last twenty years, read this, and discover just how big the debt they owe to Watchmen is, and why it's still better than any of them. Dave Gibbons shows why he's one of the most respected artists ever to divide a page into six panels, and Moore amply demonstrates why every genre he touches seems utterly mined when he's done with it. God alone knows how mainstream super-heroes carried on after this. Also featuring the most gut-wrenching moment of shock in any comic ever: "I did it thirty-five minutes ago". Genius.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick2.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#2: The Complete Maus (Penguin Books)
By Art Speigelman

Little can be said about Maus that hasn't already been uttered a thousand times. I know several people who were put off by its reputation: fearing a weighty, worthy book that hammers home deep moral lessons, they avoided it like the plague. Of course, I badgered them into reading it eventually, and they found out just how wrong they were. The simplest of conceits, that of WWII and the Holocaust happening amidst Jewish mice and German cats, opens the door to understanding last century's greatest atrocity. An example of what the graphic novel could be if it really wanted, and if it had enough ambition: a great work of art. Read it yourself to find out more. You'll thank me.

Hang on, if Maus is number two, what the hell could be at number one?

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/robinpick1.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#1: Jimmy Corrigan: the Smartest Kid on Earth (Johnathan Cape)
By Chris Ware

Where do you start? A semi-autobiographical tale that began as a newspaper strip that was meant to last a season and ended up taking five years. Jimmy Corrigan works up the courage (no mean feat, because Jimmy doesn't have much) to visit his father, a man he hasn't seen for a very long time. In the midst of this reunion trip Jimmy sits quietly, stutters a sentence or two occasionally, fantasizes about wonderful things that will never happen to him, injures himself, finds a sister and remembers to phone his mother. He's one of the finest creations in all of comics, pathetic, boring, filled with yearning, destined to be a mothers boy all his life. Every page seems fresh, bursting with new ways to use the form to tell the story in a style so assured and perfect it defies belief. Maps, cut-outs, diagrams, an apologia, a glossary: not a wasted space anywhere in the book: even the cover folds out into something secret and wonderful. It's also hysterically funny. The best thing you can spend money on in a comic store. Buy it now or your toes will drop off.

Honourable mentions. Judge Dredd: America by John Wagner and Colin Macneil. Zenith Phases I through IV by Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell. The Complete DR and Quinch, by Alan Moore and Alan Davis.

Rebuttals:
Raul: Thanks to you, I'll probably have nightmares of Miller and Moore hunting me down in the dark of night. However, what I find much more disturbing is that you are encouraging people to buy the Bone collected edition. While Bone is a brilliant work in any form, the One volume is currently the leading cause of hand cramps in comic book readers (outpacing even Teri Hatcher). I've found it to be rather difficult reading a story by the pound.
Jordan: Ah, Bone. How I miss you already...regardless, I move on. A very nicely balanced list Robin. Some obvious but still very worthy and deserving choices in your top five, and a nicely eclectic bunch in your bottom (well now...THAT certainly sounded suggestive). I have to say, there's a few titles on here even I haven't heard of. And that, my friend, is no mean feat. But your descriptions and enthusiasm intrigue me so I'm tempted to pick them up. Also, considering the opinion this industry has adopted towards paranoid misogynist Dave Sim, it's a fairly brave and bold choice to include his work on your list. Sadly, it's all for naught...we're still going to have to burn you at the stake for it. Sorry.
Mitch: You know, I like this one a lot. We've got Year One, Bone, Jimmy Corrigan in the number one spot, Watchmen and a few gems in there that I've been trying to track down for a while in Lost Girl and Persepolis. I'm going to go out on a limb here though and mention two things that are sure to cause a stir. One - I don't like Cerebus overly (even before the descent into misogyny). I appreciate all that Sim has done and have respect for him, but that series just never really did it for me I'm afraid. Secondly, with all due respect to Spiegelman and the work itself, I find Maus to be highly overrated and over-hyped. Don't get me wrong, its not because of its content - its still one of the best comics ever produced - but simply because to this day, its the only comic book that sits on any Australian library shelves. Yes, its a great achievement, but if one more non-comic reader praises Maus to me while looking strangely at my copy of The Invisible Kingdom as just another funny book, I think I'm going to scream. I remember getting derided in high school over my comic book fixation, by a bunch of pretentious faux-intellectuals who would wax poetic over the artistic value of the single copy of Maus in the high school library while s******ing over my comic book collection. Yeah, I know its a petty and neurotic criticism, but I had to think of something negative in light of such a good list. Rant over. :)
Jon: Lovely stuff. A nice mix of choices with excellent explanations. Hmmm...I'm meant to not like this aren't I... Hey there's absolutely no Ennis. Shame on you. In fact shame on all of us for not picking a Preacher book.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar12769_1.gif" align=left border=0 alt="Raul Grau">Next is Raul Grau, our resident expert on comics and their dummies:

To put together this list, I began by writing down every single graphic novel/trade paperback ever written/collected that I had read/read. Unfortunately, that came to a few dozen more than 10, so I also made the decision to leave off any trades that provide nothing substantial beyond the original issues (even if they do have an introduction by Tori Amos or Harlan Ellison). So the collections here are extra special... the GNs are too, in case you're concerned.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpickhon.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpickhon2.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">Right up front, Honorable Mentions go to Totems, which brought together a rumpus room full of Vertigo mainstays for a Y2K tale of woe, and Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale, a story of life, the universe, and leprechauns by Ringworld's Larry Niven. Well, on with the show, this is it...

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick10.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#10: Elementals: Ghost Of A Chance (Comico)

From Comico's ill-fated Elementals line came this tale of true romance, built upon a solid foundation of deception and desperation. Vortex and Haunting, two prominent superheroes, race towards their nuptials, though we all know that these matters are never simple in romantic comedies. Standing between them and the altar is a jealous commanding officer, a thief with a blood fetish, a horny Phoenician goddess, some Freemasons, and a mountain of beer. Featuring a stunning cover by Alex Ross, this GN is a really fun romp, which also includes the single most inventive use of wind powers that I have ever seen... I'd say more, but this board is all-ages.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick9.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#9: Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame (DC Comics)

It's the stuff of legends. A Neil Gaiman script languishes in limbo for twelve years before finally getting the GN treatment. On art, an assortment of talented talent, including Mike Allred, Mark Buckingham, Matt Wagner, and Art Adams. Straddling the line between mainstream DC and what was soon to become Vertigo, Phantom Stranger and Deadman assist the pair of protagonists, as they become lost in a not particularly friendly afterlife. That's right, Superman goes to hell... that alone is worth cover price.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick8.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#8: Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem (Marvel Comics)

Kitty Pryde, current poster child for the X-generation, tries to lead an assortment of prepubescent mutants through this world of psychotic greed and Hollywood excess. Unfortunately for Kitty, the heroes in her charge are the X-Babies, mini-versions of X-Men, who bicker amongst themselves like school children... a bit like their adult counterparts as well, come to think of it. Impeccably rendered by Art Adams (you might recall him from the last entry), this GN might not make the X-Babies cool, but it certainly makes them funny.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick7.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#7: Superman and Batman: World's Funnest (DC Comics)

When Evan Dorkin kills the DC Universe, he does it with style. Pranksters Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite rumble from universe to universe, from the past to the far future, slaughtering and skewering every hero they come across. The art is unspeakably great, with Alex Ross revisiting Kingdom Come, Frank Miller going back to the Gotham of DKR, Phil Jimenez, Bruce Timm, Golden Age great Sheldon Moldoff, Mike Allred and so many more. If nothing else, this GN may be our only opportunity to see Robin get hole-punched to death.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick6.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#6: Less Than Heroes (Top Shelf Productions)

Eight years ago, David Yurkovich released Threshold (no, not that Threshold, the other Threshold, the funny one), a series of series starring a quirky (and non-unionized) quartet of heroes defending the city of Philadelphia. Since then, their adventures have continued in the various S.H.O.P. specials (short for the Super-Heroes of Philadelphia) from Sleeping Giant Comics, but last month the original Threshold issues were released in collected from in the Less Than Heroes trade from Top Shelf Productions. (Confused yet?)

Anyway, it's crime-fighters for people who love Clerks. Two parts superhero satire with a hearty helping of emotional depth that makes you really care who will win in the climatic battle between Thermo-Nuclear Warhead and The Stamp Collector (my money was on The Stamp Collector). And for those (like me) who already own the sold-out issues, the art has been completely remastered, adding shading and depth sadly lacking in the original work. Now it will feel like you are really there for the dramatic flossing sequence.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick5.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#5: Sandman Midnight Theatre (DC Comics/Vertigo)

Sandman (the gas-masked detective) meets Sandman (the lord of Dreams) in this prelude to the tale of Morpheus. Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner come together, merging their two Vertigo gems into one dynamic story. Set in 1939, the suicide of a close friend brings Wesley Dodds (the Golden Age Sandman) to England, where he becomes embroiled in a conspiracy of murder, blackmail, and an imprisoned Endless. This GN has something for everyone... reluctant lovers, bourgeoisie debauchery, and the most bizarre snake fetish ever printed.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick4.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#4: Kingdom Come (DC Comics)

What more can be said about this series? It's a nostalgia-filled examination of the state of heroism in an increasingly brutal world. It's an explosive epic, with an expansive cast of characters. It's the final chapter of the modern era of superheroes. It's what all comic book stories should be. It's also beautifully painted by Alex Ross (all comic books stories should be beautifully painted by Alex Ross too, but that almost goes without saying).

However, the collected edition contains something that the miniseries was lacking... namely closure. In the eight page epilogue, Waid and Ross deliver an optimistic and amusing ending, showing us that despite the ideological differences between the three leads, each believes in the same hopeful future. The trade also includes the four page Apokolips sequence, which finally explained the decision-making of Superman. Plus, there are the requisite pin-ups, posters, and sketches by Ross... come for the story, stay for the pretty pictures.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick3.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#3: The Sandman: The Dream Hunters (DC Comics/Vertigo)

I know what you're thinking. The comic market was already at its saturation point for Japanese folklore tales transformed into illustrated novels, but I feel that The Dream Hunters sets itself apart from all the many others. Neil Gaiman has injected the classic story of the fox and the monk with characters from his Sandman mythos... or perhaps they were always there, and now we are just seeing them clearly. Regardless, the paintings by Yoshitaka Amano (best known in America for his work on the Final Fantasy series) are simply beautiful, with a dearth of longing in every image. The story itself is also a mix beauty and sadness, but this is Morpheus as written by Gaiman, so you know it is worth the experience.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick2.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#2: V For Vendetta (DC Comics/Vertigo)

V is... well, it's... it's a story about... hmmm, where to begin?

V is a story about us, all of us, and what would happen if we all stopped paying attention to our society for five minutes, and let someone else do our thinking. The protagonist... err, antagonist... anarchist of the story is known only as V, a mysterious person with a mysterious past and mysterious motives, though this was before enigmatic became a cliché. Alan Moore and David Lloyd created a near future which is frighteningly similar to our present, yet beneath the sublime horror, there is the hope that change is possible.

Originally published as a series of short vignettes in Warrior magazine, V For Vendetta was later reprinted and completed in comic form in 1988. The trade paperback collects the entire psychological thriller, and includes a lengthy article written by Alan Moore, which illustrates the creative process behind the series. There are also two interludes (titled Vertigo and Vincent) that were part of the original run, but were deemed to be nonessential to the story as a whole (though that makes them no less interesting, of course).

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/raulpick1.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#1: The Compleat Moonshadow (DC Comics/Vertigo)

If comic books are truly an art form, then Moonshadow is the masterpiece.

Nearly twenty years ago, J. M. DeMatteis and Jon J. Muth first introduced us to Moonshadow, an incredibly special young man. He was born of a displaced hippie from Earth (a beautiful young woman who called herself Sunflower) and a member of the very alien race known as the G'I-Doses, who were known for being utterly unknowable. The story of Moonshadow's life begins, appropriately enough, with his birth, and ends, again quite appropriately, with his end (thanks to the inclusion of Farewell, Moonshadow, published 12 years after the original run, to the latest editions of the trade paperback).

In between those two seemingly unavoidable states of being, we are given a front row seat to the wonders of his life. We are allowed to watch his first journey of exploration, we experience his first loss as he does, and we revel in the joys and disappointments of love. We celebrate his triumphs and empathize with his defeats. We watch him grow from boy to man, and we never lose sight of the wonder in his eyes when his tale began. His world is fantastic, his journey incredible, his backgrounds seamlessly depicted, but his life is much like our own, and must be seen to be understood.

However, I think Mr. DeMatteis said it best when he wrote, 'Ping! Pong! P'oof! Pop!' Indeed, J. M., Ping!

Rebuttals:
Robin: Mojo Mayhem? Blimey, that one came out of left field. Two Sandman stories? I have difficulty taking anything with Morpheus in it seriously after Dave Sim's parody, but alright. Hmmm......looking at your top five I have to ask: is DC giving you kickbacks? It's ok and everything, but you could spread some of that dough around, you know. Hell, I'd be willing to put Aquaman on my list if there's a boatload of greenbacks in it for me. Bear it in mind *wink*.
Jordan: Mojo Mayhem. You're a freaking genius. That quirky original Excalibur Claremont fun (not the milquetoast and yawn inducing plot holes and bad teenage dialogue of the current series). My sweet, darling Kitty getting most of the spotlight. And the artwork of Art Adams...sigh...how I love it so. For that alone, I would be in favor of your list. But then you go and pick Dream Hunters as well. Some of the most gorgeous writing and artwork I've ever experienced. I considered it myself for a while, but wasn't sure if it met my criteria for a "graphic novel" with its somewhat unconventional format (at least as far as comic books are concerned). So I'm glad that it got a mention from somebody. Still, as beautiful as Moonshadow may be...to rank it above V? I have to question your sanity, my friend. But that seems to be our habit with each other, so kudos for sticking to form!
Mitch: Hard to comment here, being that I've only read 50% of this list. Biiiig props for Moonshadow and Sandman Midnight Theatre though. I'm with almost everyone else who has commented - Mojo Mayhem came right out of left field but I like it. I hate to admit it but I always had a soft spot for those X-Babies. Evan Dorkin did a DC book? How on earth did I miss that?!??!
Jon: So yeah. That was informative and stuff. I'd like to endorse your list only I haven't a clue if you've made good picks. Hmmm... seeing as you have a love for the odd, obscure and usually crap I'm guessing that not all these titles are gold. But hey, you've got an x-title, you'll be fine.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/avatar.php?userid=1126&dateline=1075825746" align=left border=0 alt="Jordan T. Maxwell">Next up is eternal ComiX-Ten contributor Jordan T. Maxwell:

Well now... that was a struggle. Having to consider enormous stacks of graphic novels and trade paperbacks is all well and good. But when you then have to narrow all that yummy sequential art goodness down to just ten? It tends to put a bit of a strain on the brain. So in order to help the process out, I first cut out any trades of ongoing series. No Invisibles. No Authority. No Queen and Country. Second, I looked at the most obvious choices, the works of such unparalleled quality and lasting reputation that they demanded to be on this list...and threw them out. Because, honestly, if you haven't read Watchmen, Kingdom Come or Dark Knight Returns by now, you're pretty much a lost cause. Finally, I pared down the selection by allowing only one selection from any writer. Otherwise, over half my list would just read like the greatest hits of Morrison, Gaiman, Moore and Claremont. What I was left with was a fairly eclectic blend of graphic storytelling, a group of stories that always make me smile and challenge me. Hope you enjoy.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick10.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#10: Skinwalker (Oni Press)
Writer: Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
Artist: Brian Hurtt and Arthur Dela Cruz

I personally don't know of too many other people who've read this brilliant thriller about a hotshot FBI agent and a Navajo reservation police officer investigating a homicide involving a serial killer who can wear other people's skins, ancient Native American rituals and a high ranking government conspiracy. And honestly, that's a damn shame. Because we need more intelligent and quirky books like this in the industry. DeFilippis and Weir's background in writing film and television really shows here as the drama as the story moves very cinematically. But as good as the writing is, it is highlighted and enhanced (as all great comic books should be) by the artwork. The pencils of Brian Hurtt show a level of nuanced expression that lets the characterization shine just as much as the story, while his layouts show an understanding of pacing and sequencing from which many of today's hotshot "marquee" artists could stand to learn a lesson. But what really makes the art stand out are the innovative and evocative digital finishes of Arthur Dela Cruz. So often in the story, they prove essential in establishing mood and atmosphere, as well as creating a natural sense of light and shadow that black and white comics often struggle with. So when this book gets grabbed up as the next comic to film adaptation (and if no one else gets to it, then I'll sure as hell step up and make it), remember that you heard it from your old pal the Reverend first.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick9.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#9: Blue Monday: The Kids Are All Right (Oni Press)
Writer/Artist: Chynna Clugston-Major

In case it hasn't become utterly obvious over the last several ComiX-Ten columns, I am head over heels in love with this book and these characters. They just feel so alive to me, like kids I used to hang out with in high school and how completely fun, sad, pathetic, sexy and totally awkward we all were back then. And while I love the sexual tension and slapstick hijinks of Absolute Beginners and the totally lovely stunted romanticism of Lovecats and Nobody's Fool (collected in Inbetween Days), The Kids Are All Right has a special place in my heart as my introduction to the gang from Jefferson High. While there are plenty of worthy subplots in the story (including a crush on the new substitute teacher, a prank war between the boys and girls and the general stupid angst of high school), the main story has to do with Bleu Finnegan's all consuming quest to win tickets and backstage passes to see the Dandy Highwayman himself, Adam Ant. Through her struggles, Bleu enlists the aid of her friends Clover, Alan, Victor and Erin (other than one early scene, the eternally suffering Monkeyboy is absent), each misadventure getting her closer to her goal, yet always falling short. Despite the hijinks and comedy this is all played for, there's an emotional truth to Bleu's longing and her sadness...a truth that makes the story's resolution all the more rewarding. Plus, when you've named the story after one of the Who's best songs, you've pretty much already won me over.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick8.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#8: Hopeless Savages (Oni Press)
Writer: Jen Van Meter
Artist: Christine Norrie w/ Chynna Clugston-Major

So...imagine if Joe Strummer and Patti Smith had hooked up, gotten married, had four kids and moved to the suburbs. Got that picture in your head? Good. Don't know who Joe Strummer and Patti Smith are? Go hang your head in shame and lament for your cultural ignorance. Or just Google the names, you lazy bastards. Anyway, this is the story of the Hopeless-Savages, your ordinary middle American family...if your ordinary middle American family has two former punk rock idols for parents anyway (or was that just me?). This introductory story focuses on the kidnapping of parents Dirk Hopeless and Nikki Savage over the rights to one of Dirk's "pop" hits from before his punk days. In order to rescue them, the three youngest Hopeless-Savages (Skank Zero, Arsenal Fierce and Twitch Strummer) have to recruit the aid of their estranged older brother Rat. Though there's plenty of punk attitude and examination of the ins and outs of the music business, at heart this is a story about family, bonded by more than just blood but in friendship and loyalty as well. Illustrated by Christine Norrie (with flashback sequences provided by Chynna Clugston-Major), the story is told through a kind of subverted realism...cartoony features and effects belying the genuine expressions of emotion. It also make a great recruiting tool, as I've been able to turn friends who've known nothing about comics beyond capes and tights into fans through their love for good stories and punk music/culture. And the framing sequence of young Skank using placards to narrate the story a la Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues just screams out "adapt me into a movie." So sod off, ya blighters and put a li'l coin down for the bleeding book already so's we can get the flick made, wha?

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick7.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#7: Weapon X (Marvel Comics)
Writer/Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith

Well now...here we are again. Me, talking about Weapon X and how awesome it is. But y'know, this is just one of those books that deserves all the recognition it gets and shows the kind of singular vision and artistry that can be brought to this medium. It really is a work of staggering beauty and intelligence, and all credit belongs to Barry Windsor-Smith. Sure, Wolverine's cool (or "kewl" as the case may be) and his mysterious past has proven fertile ground for many a story. Yet he is rarely an active participant in this story, more often a silent victim at the hands of the almost buffoonish Professor, the conflicted Cornelius and naive Hines or, in the latter half of the story, a primal force more akin to the savage beast of a Jack London novel than a thinking, feeling human being. No, this story's brilliance comes entirely down to the craft and professionalism of Windsor-Smith's fusion of art and language, and how easily he blurs the line between the two. There's great depth and versatility in this work...moving from the musings of a man without hope to the paranoid atmosphere of science fiction surrounding the mad experiments, into the subconscious of a man who is also an animal and finally to the brutal ending, laced and dripping with dramatic irony. Each section raises fundamental questions about humanity, but never loses sense of the character or narrative. And even in the light of more recent revelations, the original Weapon X still raises as many questions as it answers, making it as important a work today...both to the character and the medium...as it was when it was first serialized in Marvel Comics Presents.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick6.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#6: Marvel Boy (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights)
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: J.G. Jones

I never had a huge problem with Bill Jemas. To be honest, I respect a lot of what the man did for Marvel Comics during his tenure. Sure, he could be a little abrasive in interviews but I liked that. And some of his marketing ideas were...well, boneheaded (to be polite). And yet, there is a part of me...a deep, visceral part of myself that only shows itself in moments of pure primal passion...that despises one Mr. Bill Jemas. For because of him, there may never be a Marvel Boy 2, and that my friends is an act more than worthy of my aching contempt. For the moment, though, I have the wonderfully madcap first volume and I suppose that is more than enough. In one of his first ventures into the Marvel Universe, Morrison pulled out some of the oldest and most beloved concepts and themes from the House of Idea's toy chest, painted them up in post modern pop coolness and then used it all to dress up his own terrorist superhero avatar of Horus (who destroys in order to create), Noh-Varr. Marvel Boy. The sole survivor of a Kree scouting ship, empowered with the genetically spliced abilities of a cockroach and assisted by Plex, a miniature link up to the Supreme Intelligence. His lover and crew dead, Noh-Varr decides to enact justice on the planet that killed them: Earth. He faces SHIELD, a cadre of Captain America clones who can all Hulk out, the living corporation of HeliX and Midas, the wealthy sociopath who downed his spaceship in the first place. He wears a golden version of Iron Man's original armor and bombards himself with cosmic rays to become a warped version of the Thing. In a symbolic sense, Noh-Varr takes on the mainstays of the Marvel Universe itself...and defeats them all, like the day-glo ghost of Jack Kirby's post-millennial consciousness come to wreak havoc on the world he helped build. Ah yes...and of course there's the lovely Oubliette. You have to love hot chicks with cool scars, dressed in fetish leather and named after medieval torture devices...don't you? And speaking of Kirby...

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick5.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#5: Inhumans (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights)
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Jae Lee

Fusing the original madness and brilliance of Jack Kirby's creations with the kind of epic scale, cynical modernism and political topicality of such grand works as Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns, Jenkins and Lee go a long way here towards pulling the Inhumans out of the b-level character exile they so often find themselves in and really showcasing why they have endured for so long since their introduction in the pages of Fantastic Four so many decades ago. The dramatic strengths of the concept are brought into a new age, paralleled in the story with beautiful metaphor by the core confrontation as human invaders attempt to storm Attilan. Each of the classic characters is given time to shine (even Lockjaw), even as a new generation is introduced (many of which were featured in Sean McKeever's recent, and sadly aborted, Inhumans series). But the core of this story is the tortured silent leadership of Black Bolt, his powerful yet absent voice given over to the omniscient narrator who delves deeply into the psyche the seeming mistakes and failings of Black Bolt and the royal family add slowly into a victory of almost Machiavellian design. Tying the already politically charged story into the real world through devices like the sinking of the Lucetania, Winston Churchill's decision to not prevent the obliteration of the town of Coventry and even an episode of Politically Incorrect (with Reed Richards as one of the guests) help to lend this story a dramatic weight and make more immediate many of the inherent ethical questions and dilemmas of the Inhumans...such as the terragenesis process and almost racist attitude behind it, the forced/allowed labor of the Alpha Primitives, the isolation from the rest of society, the (non)punishment of Maximus. The book does not attempt to answer these questions, merely spotlighting them, relating them to our own society and engaging the readers to think for themselves. Sadly, since its publication, the Inhumans have been once more relegated to their "weird science fictions guest star" role in the Marvel Universe. But for those who like their superheroes with a bit more heft, this book's for you. Besides...who am I to argue with an Eisner?

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick4.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#4: Fray (Dark Horse Comics)
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: Karl Moline

I have made no secret of my love for Joss Whedon's writing, nor the tremendous impact and influence it has had on my own. We know he can handle vampires and their Slayers through the brilliant Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. We know he can masterfully craft future worlds and adventures from the genius Firefly. Heck, we even know he's quite adept at the art of dysfunctional families from his years on Roseanne. So in a way, the adventures of Melaka Fray are a culmination of all his past writing (no, don't try to get me to tie Toy Story into this). With Fray, we are treated to a continuation of Whedon's own Slayer mythos, but the story stands on its own apart from that mythos as well. There are no guest spots from Willow or Spike, and really only one intentionally vague nod to the legacy of Buffy (in fact, it's the other way around as Fray's sacred weapon worked its way into Buffy's show for the last few episodes). Whedon doesn't depend on the popularity of his past stories as a crutch, but a springboard into a new world and new legend. In the world of the future, no one knows what a vampire is. The Watchers' Council are a group of self immolating fanatics. The Slayer has only half her powers and works as a cat burglar. Her training is foreseen by a demonic agent whose loyalties aren't entirely clear. Her sister's a cop constantly on her tail, her best friends are the weird mutant fish guy she works for and an adorably deformed little girl. And her twin brother's dead...ish. Add into this wonderfully chaotic world the entrancing and kinetic artwork of Karl Moline, who's sense of scope and action is balanced by his minute attention to detail and human expression. Hopefully, there will be more Fray adventures to come (on a MONTHLY schedule, right Joss?), but either way...to quote Seth Green's Oz..."I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there's a new Slayer in town."

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick3.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#3: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (Marvel Comics)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Brent Eric Anderson

There was a time when the adventures of the X-Men weren't just the most prolific or popular superhero stories on the stands...they were also among the most mature and intelligent. In the 1980s, Claremont began to move the X-Men away from the hyperbolic space operas and infused them with a sense of the era's dark and paranoid politics, heightening the themes of racism and prejudice that had always run as an undercurrent in the book. And with the right wing politics of those Reagan/Thatcher years being so tightly married to religious evangelism with its sometime message of hatred in God's name, it was only a matter of time before the X-Men butted heads with the theme of organized religion. Enter the Reverend William Stryker and his "crusade" against the abominations of mutation. Perhaps too provocative for the pages of the monthly, Claremont's tale of the X-Men's struggles against the charismatic Stryker was given a kind of upgrade to Marvel's new series of original graphic novels. And if there ever was a story worthy of that upgrade, this is it. It opens with two young children, hunted down through a playground and shot. When the little girl asks why, the answer is chilling: "Because you have no right to live." Claremont knows what he's doing here, as the two children are black and it's only momentarily established that they're even mutants. Their murderer's answer could just as easily pertain to their race as their genetic structure (this parallel is brought up again a few times later, most effectively when Kitty Pryde gets in a fight over another kid's anti-mutant rhetoric. Her longtime friend and mentor, Stevie Hunter tells her not to be so upset because they're only words. Kitty's angered response still gives me goosebumps). They are killed and left hanging in a playground. Let the power of that symbolism really sink in, because Claremont plays with symbolism to masterful effect throughout this book. In a very real sense, there is no status quo in this book. Within the first chapter, the X-Men's leaders are believed dead...and by the end of the second the remaining members are allied with Magneto. The final battle is not fought with fists and powers, but with words as first Cyclops and then Kitty use the strength of their convictions and ideals to expose Stryker's hypocrisy and hatred for what they truly are. The final scene back at the mansion exemplifies moreso than almost any other scene who the X-Men are and what they fight for...and that the bonds of their hope for the future make them more than heroes or soldiers, but family. I can't remember seeing Brent Eric Anderson's work before or since, but his dark expressive artwork fits perfectly and adds so much emotion to the story. In forty years of storytelling, this may or may not be the X-Men at its finest...but it is certainly at its truest.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick2.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#2: The Sandman: Endless Nights (DC Comics/Vertigo)
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Glenn Fabry, Milo Manara, Miguelanxo Prado, Frank Quitely, P. Craig Russell, Bill Sienkiewicz, Barron Storey

Out of Gaiman's entire library of Sandman stories, this collection of exquisite vignettes stand out as the finest. And if you don't understand exactly what that means...well, go read more Sandman. In fact, if you DO understand exactly what that means, still go read more Sandman. It's good for you. The Endless are abstract concepts of universal forces. They are deeply emotional people. They are the most dysfunctional family in the entirety of Creation...literally. As Gaiman explores each in their own separate story (well, mostly separate...astute readers will notice a link between two of the stories in the latter half), he not only collaborates with an artist who best captures the mood and feel of that character, but also shifts gears as a writer to great effect. Not just telling seven different stories, but seven different KINDS of stories. From the simple beauty of Death, the lush sensuality of Desire, the layered and tragic storytelling of Dream to the jagged poetry of Despair, the disjointed stream of (sub)consciousness of Delirium, the straightforward yet enigmatic tale of Destruction and the utter simplicity of Destiny...Gaiman and seven of the industry's most incredible artistic talents weave a journey through each character, through their functions and through the reader's own experience. When I first purchased this graphic novel, it was my first ever hardcover comic book and I planned to read it over the course of a week. A story a day. I read it through over the course of one night and by the end of Destiny's tale, I found myself smiling and crying and not knowing why...except that I had been fully engaged both emotionally and intellectually.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpick1.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#1: V for Vendetta (Warrior/DC Comics/Vertigo)
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: David Lloyd

London. The post apocalyptic ruins of 1997 (hey, it was written in the 80s. Even George Orwell missed the date on his dystopia by a few years), and England is ruled by the fascist government and a supercomputer named Fate. Out of the night swoops a strange and darkly theatrical savior, with his Harlequin mask, his penchant for poetry, his conical hat...and his bombs. He brings to England salvation through destruction, he brings them freedom through strife, he brings them the greatest and most fragile gift of all: anarchy, wrapped up in a gunpowder bow. He is known simply as Citizen V. And those who think his mission is simply vendetta soon find themselves sorely mistaken. As much modern pulp hero as it is political missive, Moore and Lloyd collaborated early on in their careers to bring the dark and desperate world of V, Eve and their sordid rogues' gallery to life. And it is quite possibly the most important comic book ever produced. Most often when comic books are considered "important," it's because they serve to examine or deconstruct some function or convention of comic books themselves. But V for Vendetta doesn't concern itself with that at all. It examines the world itself, what we as people can and have allowed it to become...how it could get worse, but also how we can make it better. I've often said that I could teach an entire political science course using solely this book as the text. And if that's not to happen, then English departments should take note to teach their students Valerie's letter (http://www.shadowgalaxy.net/Vendetta/valerie.html) as it is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read in Western fiction. If you'll allow me a moment's musing, I wonder if a work like V could be published today. A work that openly challenges authority and promotes its downfall. A work that says WE are stronger than "them." A work that has as its central character a murderer, a criminal...a terrorist. I wonder what V would do in our world. I wonder which "mask" is more important. I wonder if England Prevails. I wonder if there will be roses...

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jordanpickhon.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">Honorable Mention: Channel Zero (Image/AiT/Planet Lar)
Writer/Artist: Brian Wood

While the narrative meanders and dies out a bit towards the end, I would be remiss not to mention Channel Zero as not necessarily one of the best, but definitely one of the most important and innovative graphic novels to come out in a long time. The execution and subversion of visual information and text, the subliminal messages seeded into every corner, the juxtaposition of white on black, word on picture. This book combines many of the best elements of the books mentioned above...the noir lighting and atmosphere of Skinwalker, the singular artistic vision of Weapon X, the political messages and themes of V for Vendetta and the punk attitude of Hopeless Savages (because yes, punk SHOULD be tied into politics. And yes, Avril, you DO need to know who the damn Sex Pistols are). This should be required reading for the next generation of comic book creators, because this is the kind of story that only comic books can tell and it's the kind of innovation that more comic books should use.

Rebuttals:
Robin: Ah, V. I first read this in school when a teacher pressed it on me. I'm not sure the school would have approved if they'd known Mr. Howell was handing out anarchist manifestoes with the homework, but it taught me a hell of a lot more than most of the classes I took. Almost a perfect choice for the number one spot. It's different to mine, and therefore fundamentally wrong, but kudos nonetheless.
Raul: I must admit that it is rather difficult to find something amiss in your list, Jordan. I mean, you've included all the essentials: Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Brian Wood, Frank Miller... hey, wait a minute, you didn't include any Miller on your list. Hey everybody, someone made a list without any Miller... get him!
Mitch: Alan Moore? Check. Gaiman? Check.Morrison? Check. Okay, I saw that coming but, what's this? Weapon X? The Inhumans? God Loves, Man Kills? Can't say I expected those to make it on there man, but you put up a very convincing case. Good call for Blue Monday and other Oni goodness even if I haven't picked up all those trades you have mentioned yet. As per usual, there's not much I can really say about one of your lists. If it wasn't for the surprising (to me) quality of Astonishing X-Men though I might have called you on mentioning a Whedon book - with me being the polar opposite of a Buffy fan. But, I'm slowly coming around. And yeah, I also wonder if there will be roses...*sniff*
Jon: Luckily for you I took Jim's advice and stocked up on Red Bull before I had the misfortune of approaching your list. At least that way I made it through the majority of that epic tome. So here's a doohickey. Does this man pick these obscure titles that only he and his legions of disciples has read so that no one else can ratify their quality and instead just agree so as not to lose face? Methinks we voters must not fall for the smoke screen. Rally against the evils of the T friends!!!

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar8614_1.gif" align=left border=0 alt="Mitch Brown">Next up is Mitch Brown, and boy am I running out of semi-amusing things for these intros:

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick10.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#10: Give Me Liberty (Dark Horse)
Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Dave Gibbons

While I had read some his Daredevil and Spider-Man in the past, Give Me Liberty was the comic book that turned me into a big fan of all things Frank Miller. I even read this before The Dark Knight Returns. Set in a war-ravaged future dominated by fascist politicians, creepy cyborg Surgeon Generals, and mega-corporations such as the outlaw Fat Boy Burgers, Give Me Liberty follows the story of a young African-American woman named Martha Washington. Martha is an exceptionally bright child who yearns to escape the horrors of the ghetto known simply as “The Green”. To this end, Martha joins the supposed people's army, P.A.X, seeking adventure and excitement in the world’s hot spots. Soon after joining P.A.X, Martha is drawn into a complex web of deceit, betrayal and conspiracy that forces her to take a stand against genetically-engineered Amazonians, pre-cognitive mutants, the President, the Surgeon General and even P.A.X itself. Miller and artist Dave (Watchmen) Gibbons give us a glimpse of a dystopian future America, collapsing under the weight of its own cultural dominance. Miller projects an over-the-top, yet somehow still believable image of a corrupt, power-driven world, bearing striking similarities to current world events. Give Me Liberty boasts all of Frank Miller’s trademarks - ultra-violent, high-paced, yet intelligent and witty - challenging even The Dark Knight Returns for the position of his best ever work. Give Me Liberty will always assume a proud place on my bookshelves and deserves one on yours as well.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick9.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#9: Peep Show: The Cartoon Diary of Joe Matt (Drawn & Quarterly)
Writer/Artist: Joe Matt

Peep Show is a collection of cult cartoonist Joe Matt’s warts-and-all autobiographical comic strips. Joe Matt is just an average, well…Joe. Provided that your average Joe is an angst-ridden, duck-talking, neurotic, omni-phobic little man with far too much time on his hands. With this book, Joe wrings out all the nasty, negative, festering aspects of his character onto each page in exquisite detail, caricaturizing himself and the people around him into a ludicrous yet hilarious and often quite-touching piece of cartoon art. With each of the short strips Joe gives us a look into the more unpleasant aspects of the human condition – jealousy, depression, bodily functions, negative sexuality, self-loathing – but always gives the impression that he’s laughing along with us. Through this book we see the cartoon Joe deals with his girl troubles, pornography-obsessions, his childhood, the good times and the bad times. A lot of it is bad taste and cheap humor but I challenge anyone to deny that a lot of the things Joe explores in this book aren’t things you’ve thought yourself. Its ugly, its pathetic and pitiful but remains one of my favorite comics ever and must-own if you’re into the work of creators like Pekar, Crumb or Clowes. You’ll laugh, you’ll sigh, you’ll cry and you’ll cringe, but like any good peepshow, you just can’t bring yourself to look away.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick8.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#8: The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones (Titan Books)
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Ian Gibson

Before I even really knew who Alan Moore was, I was a fan of his Ballad of Halo Jones serial from 2000AD. Originally published in the late 80s when I was just a wee tike thrilling to my weekly adventures of Judge Dredd I came across this tale in the back of one of my 2000ADs and though I didn’t quite get it at the time, down the track this story would become one of my all-time favorites (I think I may have had some strange schoolboy crush on Halo when I think about it). I came back to it when I was about 16 and just as I was discovering things like Watchmen and Swamp Thing, when the whole story was reprinted in Best of 2000AD Monthly. In 2001, Titan books collected this into a high-quality over-sized hardcover, finally giving this brilliant piece of Moore’s back catalog the collection it deserves. The Ballad of Halo Jones is set in a far-flung and alien future, following the life of the title character from late-teens through to her mid thirties. Fed up with her boring and mundane lifestyle, Halo ventures out into the stars in a journey of self-discovery. Halo is one of the best-written female characters in comics, ever. The ultimate every(wo)man, Halo is likeable and easy to empathize with as she wanders through life with a bold sense of adventure. Terribly heart-breaking and tragic in parts, The Ballad of Halo Jones is one of the absolute gems that the comic book medium has to offer. While slow-building and difficult to get into at first (much like Moore’s Watchmen), before long you’ll be cheering, crying and exploring Moore’s strange future-scape along with Halo herself. This is a book I’ve been able to come back to over-and-over again throughout the years, having worn out the original issues, the Best of 2000AD Monthly and now my 2001 edition is looking worse for wear. If you call yourself a fan of Alan Moore and you haven’t experienced The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones then there’s something wrong with you.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick7.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#7: Kill Your Boyfriend (DC Comics/Vertigo)
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Philip Bond

I originally wanted to include Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles on this list, but after a lot of consideration I decided to cut out anything involving multiple volumes. Otherwise this list would’ve been filled with things like the Preacher, Transmetropolitan and Sandman collections. While I wouldn’t feel right saying everyone should own a copy of The Filth (frankly, it isn’t for everyone) I ended up deciding on the next best thing – Grant Morrison and Philip Bond’s Kill Your Boyfriend. This book is ultra-violent, ultra-sexual and ultra-subversive in intent (okay, maybe it’s not for everyone either…), reminiscent of movies like The Doom Generation or Natural Born Killers. Kill Your Boyfriend is a short (56-page) graphic novel focusing on a pair of young miscreants living in an incredibly mundane city of London. The unnamed heroine of the piece is a bored, misunderstood, sexually frustrated teenager who comes across a rogue-ish young street kid (also unnamed). Our heroine falls quickly in love with this dangerous criminal and the pair start a rampage of vandalism, theft and rebellion-for-the-hell-of-it. Oh, and then there’s the matter of our heroine’s former boyfriend to take care of… Along the way Morrison takes aim at pretentious art “rebels”, the education system, Tory aristocrats, teen angst, consumerism and well, anything else he feels like. The story is pretty bleak and seemingly quite hollow at first glance but scratch a little deeper, particularly in regards to the ending and there’s actually a lot of depth going on here in terms of what actually isn’t said. Despite its short length a great deal of the entire 60-odd issue run of The Invisibles is thematically encapsulated within Kill Your Boyfriend’s pages. Its like a Guy Debord film crossed with a Quentin Tarantino blockbuster that’s been infused with the madness that bounces around Grant Morrison’s head on a daily basis. Philip Bond is the perfect artistic choice for this book, keeping up expertly with Grant’s madcap, tongue-in-cheek, faux cool script. Bond is a talent we need to see more of in my humble opinion. Unfortunately, Kill Your Boyfriend is out-of-print but I have heard rumblings that this book will be revived sometime in the near future, riding on the wave of the recent and upcoming collections of Morrison’s Sebastian O and Doom Patrol. If you can find it at a good price snap it up. Otherwise I don’t think we’ve got that long to wait for a new edition of this book.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick6.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#6: Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth (Pantheon Books)
Writer/Artist: Chris Ware

More than any other comic book I’ve ever read, I had a really difficult time getting into Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth when I first read it. I found it boring and utterly pointless. I was about 15, I think. Several years later after hearing so many recommendations and hype I re-opened this quaintly designed graphic novel and found myself falling in love with Chris Ware’s minimalist and depressing tale of a father and son. Like a Kafka novel (who I also hated until I re-read him), its hard to put something like Jimmy Corrigan into words that are able to capture everything there is to say about this book. Its an incredibly inventive, clever, highly detailed look into what has to be, the absolutely loneliest and saddest human being I have ever seen in a comic book. Jimmy Corrigan is thoroughly depressing but utterly captivating. Like any great work of literature something different seems to jump out from the pages upon successive readings – it’s a book that seems to grow along with its reader. What’s most interesting about Jimmy Corrigan is that this is a story that could not be told in any other medium, it’s the sort of book that really plays on the strength of the graphic novel as a storytelling medium, linking inventive design and panel layouts with the raw emotion and expressiveness of Ware’s drawings. Oh, and there’s some succinctly elegant prose in there as well. Beautiful.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick5.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#5: The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics)
Writer/Artist: Frank Miller

Three letters summed this up for me after I first read it – “Wow.”
I borrowed this of a friend in about Grade Nine or Ten, and I remember voraciously devouring DKR in one long sitting. I remember finally putting it down at about 4am on a school night and all I could think was those three letters. I’d been reading superhero comics most of my life but I had never come across anything like this before. For those of you who have been living under a rock, The Dark Knight Returns, set in another of Frank Miller’s dystopian futures, sees a retired, middle-aged Bruce Wayne suit up again to save Gotham City. Frank stripped away a lot of the camp and cheese of the 80s Batman and took him back to the dark beginnings of the character. With the possible exception of Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns was the catalyst for a rebirth and revamp of this iconic character, redefining the Dark Knight (and possibly even superheroes in general) for a whole new generation. For better or for worse, DKR is (along with entry #2), in no small way, responsible for the modernization and reinvention of the traditional superhero concept, paving the way for more recent hits like The Ultimates and The Authority. If you read superhero books – Marvel, DC, Image, whatever – you should have this book on your shelves.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick4.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#4: Batman: Arkham Asylum (DC Comics)
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Dave McKean

For whatever reason, more than any other character, it seems that Batman brings out the best in superhero comics (along with some the worst). In Arkham Asylum, Grant Morrison and Dave McKean take us right into the heart of the infamous Arkham Asylum used to confine and treat Gotham City’s most dangerous and criminally insane villains. The Joker, Two-Face, the Riddler – for years we knew they would be shipped off to Arkham after Batman shut down whatever nefarious scheme they were concocting this month. But, what really went on in Arkham? What makes Batman any different to the costumed loonies he fights against night after night? These sorts of questions found their answer in this lavishly painted and disturbing look into the secrets of Amadeus Arkham’s asylum. Batman walks straight into the face of hell when the lunatics take over the Asylum and he is trapped inside with his most hated foes. While this sort of tale has all the ingredients for a knockdown-dragout superhero slugfest, Morrison and McKean instead choose to conduct a chilling character study of Batman and his foes, digging deep into the roots of insanity and giving some extremely intriguing insights into supposedly plain old evil characters like the Joker. McKean is the perfect artist for this psycho-dramatic romp through the nasty edges of the characters’ psyche, his surreal painting style has the perfect mix of claustrophobia, horror and intensity to pull of this frightening little story. Awesome and essential stuff.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick3.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#3: Watchmen (DC Comics)
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons

While I feel utterly boring for including this here - we all know how good it is and I’m sure other staffers have already included this on their respective lists – there is no way that I could in good conscience leave off Watchmen. We’ve all heard it before so I’ll try to be brief here. While Dark Knight Returns thrust the superhero into a more contemporary context, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen marched straight in and turned the concept completely on its head. The most shocking (eat your heart out Mr. Millar), compelling, original, surprising and extraordinary superhero book you’re ever likely to read.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick2.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#2: V For Vendetta (DC Comics)
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: David Lloyd

Alan Moore is a genius. Anyone who disputes this is either illiterate, blind or just being belligerently disagreeable. Set in yet another dystopian future, V For Vendetta remains one of the most thought-provoking and inspiring pieces of comic book literature I have ever come across. In a totalitarian Britain, one man who has endured more than any man should ever have to experience, sets out on a personal anarchistic war based on vengeance and liberation. V’s tale is heartbreaking, suspenseful and captivating as he takes on the fascist ideologies of his British dystopia. Despite its age, V For Vendetta remains just as powerful and evocative as when it was first published in the pages of Warrior and is a high point in the history of sequential art. It is chock-full of meaning, depth, action and is chillingly relevant to current events. While Moore has gone onto to surpass this book in terms of his craft, there is so much energy and passion injected into this story that it has crawled its way to the lofty position of being my favorite Alan Moore book ever. I have already gone on at length about this book in a previous ComiX-Ten, but let me just re-iterate that this is, without doubt, a book that every comic book reader needs on their shelf.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpick1.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#1: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (Perennial Currents)
Writer/Artist: Scott McCloud

Finally, we have another entry from my Top Ten Non-Superhero Comics list, but this time out Understanding Comics inches its way into the top spot. More than any other bookshelf edition comic book I can, without the shadow of a doubt, say that every comic book reader worth his salt should have this in their home. McCloud is one of the most talented thinkers and analysts in the industry (and if you check out his Zot! he’s a damn fine creator as well). With his meta-comic Understanding Comics, McCloud completely dissects and examines the comic book medium, from the earliest hieroglyphic “comics”, through to Watchmen and beyond. Besides Will Eisner’s Sequential Art & Graphic Storytelling there has been no other book as ambitious or insightful written about our beloved medium. With this single volume, Scott McCloud says more about comic books than you ever thought there was to say. No matter who you are, cynical comic book veteran or timid newcomer, reading this will open your eyes to the history, potential and possibility that lies within the pages of the humble comic book. Reading this book not only gave me a greater understanding of the creative and functional process of the comic book art but built a greatly love, appreciation and most of all, understanding of the medium. After reading this and its companion volume, Reinventing Comics, you’ll never look at your books in the same way again, and I mean that in the best possible way. I’ve referred to this book over and over again through my reading and amateur writing life and it has been utterly indispensable throughout.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/mitchpickhon.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">Honorable Mentions: In order to construct this list I decided to remove any Trade Paperback collections that were not available as a single volume. Which meant cutting out a few series that I definitely feel should be essential but couldn't make the cut based on that criteria. So honorable mentions go to The Invisibles, Animal Man, Transmetropolitan, Preacher and, of course, The Sandman.



Rebuttals:
Robin: Told you someone else would pick DKR. Let's see: what else do we have? Two books with Dave Gibbons art? Nice one. Plenty of the three 'M's? Again, can't fault you. What's this? The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones? The story that made me fall in love with comics oh-so-many years ago? You're a beautiful, beautiful man, Mitch. You lose points for not threatening to visit severe physical harm on fools who haven't/won't read this book (and for putting my number one choice at your number six spot), but nobody's perfect.
Raul: Hmmm... you have some great unappreciated work here, Mitch. Kill Your Boyfriend, Jimmy Corrigan... all very impressive choices. Now I shall move on to discover what other almost forgotten treasures you've hidden in your top five. DKR, Arkham, more Moore... I don't know which shocks me more- that you honestly believe that some people don't already own those gems, or that some people might actually not already own those gems.
Jordan: A list chock full of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and Frank Millery goodness There's really only one thing to say to that...

Nice and smooth, my friend. Nice and smooth.
Jon: Give Me Liberty rocks more than just socks off. Halo Jones...ah happy memories of her eyes looking down at me. DKR... well that's a whole heap of obvious. What's that? Watchmen, V and that shocking McCloud book? Y'know just because it isn't from the big two doesn't make it obscure. You nearly had me then.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar3822_1.gif" align=left border=0 alt="Jon Hancock">Last but not least is Jon Hancock, and there are only two jokes to make out of that name. I’ve already used the clean one, so here’s the list:

The best or greatest of anything is hard to gauge. Lists of stories will invariably feature the obvious choices. Literary masterpieces of innovative stories. However, they're not always that entertaining. So here's the ten collections that have entertained me most. Except Preacher because I thought two Ennis picks was pushing my luck. (Sorry for the mainstream feel of my list. I'm just not as well read as my peers :dunce: )
Honorary mention to Identity Crisis which upon culmination will be one of the greatest trades ever.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick10.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#10: JLA - Rock of Ages (DC Comics)

Grant Morrison just loves to mess around with how things are supposed to be doesn't he. He's like a wee little beastie in the workings of a vital machine. Yet whenever he tinkers he always seems to produce something magnificent. Rock of Ages is one such case. It looks like a pretty simple story line. Heck it is. JLA are faced by evil League comprising of their arch-nemesis (and some guy from Saturn because J'onn still doesn't have a Rogues Gallery). Sounds a lot like the original Masters of Evil. What makes this story so compelling is that it stretches beyond a mere battle of good and bad and becomes something different. See the baddies who clearly had no hope to start with suddenly pack some major ammo when they unveil the Philosopher's Stone (sans Harry). Through many machinations and slip ups the JLA are eventually transported to Earth under Darkseid's rule. It makes the Age of Apocalypse look like an 18-20 holiday.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick9.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#9: Flash – Blitz (DC Comics)

I forget how many of these lists involving me gushing over how fabulous Geoff Johns is. Or how Wally West is one of the most singularly fantastic characters ever created. Virtually unique in the sidekick moving out of his predecessor's shadow, Wally's adventures are wide and varied. Blitz is a personal favorite of mine as it highlights all the fantastic things about Wally's character. It shows the supporting cast that has always bolstered the Flash title. It exhibits the legacy he carries with the return of a Reverse Flash and the synonymous threat that the foe poses. It highlights Wally's greatest error of revealing his secret identity and also shows how far he has gone from being Kid Flash and in awe of Barry.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick8.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#8: Crisis On Infinite Earths (DC Comics)

This book is entertaining. It is! Hush naysayers. Ok, a bit of back story. Pre Crisis, the DCU was a very complicated place. There were millions of alternate Earths and a whole variety of duplicates for DC's main characters. What was needed was a way of making something like 50 years of history accessible, new and understandable. Now that could have been done in a swift editorially compiled piece that told the facts and nothing less. However, DC decided that Marv Wolfman and George Perez should entertain while they revamped. DC knew that the majority of fans would buy this even if it were bilge just for the body count. However, Wolfman manages to capture the feelings and emotions of virtually every DC character ever within the twelve issues. He builds in editorially mandated crossovers seamlessly. He creates characters whose plight resonates with the reader. Poor, poor Pariah. The icing on the cake comes with Perez' art. Capturing the details of a variety of heroes is never easy. Making them distinguishable from everyone else is even harder. Managing to do all that while painting dramatic sceneries and gripping climaxes is amazing. Add in a beautiful Alex Ross cover and you have a wonderful collection.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick7.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#7: Avengers Under Siege (Marvel Comics)

The World's Mightiest get their behind battered. That's awesome enough. This story is one for the naughty side of each of us. Finally the bad guys get their moment in the spotlight. Baron Zemo manages to assemble a virtual army of bad guys and orchestrates the biggest coup that any villain has ever managed. Lets look at the checklist. He hospitalized Hercules and put him on life support. He managed to capture Avengers Mansion and make it his headquarters. He managed to capture and tie up Captain America before putting him through emotional hell. He beat the holy hell out of Jarvis. He only lost because of dumb luck and his fellow nutters being a bit too nuts. This story shows Zemo as the twisted son of a gun he really is. Plus it’s cool to hurt butlers.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick6.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#6: Maus (Penguin Books)

There isn't much I can add to the countless accolades that this series has received. When I first read it I felt obliged to, much like Watchmen, Kingdom Come, Dark Knight Returns and other "great" collections. However, Maus lives up to and surpasses the hype. It educates and entertains. Sure the story of the holocaust is gripping and shocking enough but Spiegelman makes it more than a historical tome. It's a personal account that takes the reader through a real tumultuous mix of emotions. The book is almost hurt by its legendary status as it is actually a fantastically told tale.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick5.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#5: Squadron Supreme (Marvel Comics)

What happens when the Justice League think they should rule the world? Long before Watchmen or Kingdom Come or The Authority there was Squadron Supreme. Mark Gruenwald made magic with this title. He took what were basically a parody on DC's biggest icons and turned them into tyrants with good intentions. Each character in the story is vital to the process as the reader is asked constantly just how far should we go to achieve Utopia. In an age where we seemingly have governments eager to enforce their way of thinking on other nations at all costs, Squadron Supreme serves as a stark warning of what happens to the best of intentions. There's also deep subplots of deception, tragedy, romance, subterfuge and redemption. Oh and there's a spiffing Alex Ross cover on this one too.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick4.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#4: Punisher - Welcome Back Frank (Marvel Comics)

So sue me. I like big explosions and fart jokes. That comes with owning a Y chromosome though doesn't it? This trade was my first taste of Frank Castle's world and I was bemused as to why he hadn't always been written this way. Ennis may have written a superior story in Preacher but with Punisher he wrote a definitive story. Something that in my opinion, warrants the trade this spot. Not only do we have Frank returning to his roots and his motives for being the Punisher but we also are introduced to such fantastic characters as the Russian, Spacker Dave, Mr Blimpo and Detective Soap, the most inept policeman since Maxwell Smart (and yes I did have to get him in as a bet.) This book is hilariously funny as well as being just a fantastic hack and slash look at the Marvel Universe. Plus someone gets eaten by a polar bear and someone else gets suffocated by an obese man eating pizza. You know you want it.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick3.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#3: Battle Royale - Volume 3 (Tokyopop Manga)

Personally I can't stand Manga as a genre so this is heavy praise indeed. Battle Royale is more than just the film. It features in-depth character building on every student. Volume 3 in particular showcases the main contenders for survival. It has a fast pace and yet is intelligent and moving at various moments. It makes you laugh out loud, blush at the rude bits and wince at the deaths. I can't wait for this series to be totally translated into English as I'm almost certain the ending will be different from the film. And I don't care because the story is so well written that there is no grounds for complaint. Battle Royale constantly feeds the reader hope and then snatches it away. It breeds a real sense of futility that makes you strive for the non players to get through the game. Yet despite it you struggle to see how they can possibly survive.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick2.jpg" align=right border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#2: Earth 2 (DC Comics)

Grant Morrison revives an age old team of the Justice League gone bad. The Crime Syndicate of America showed just what the JLA are hiding under their capes. Evil counterparts including a tyrannical Superman, a junkie Flash and a dominatrix Wonder Woman. Seeing the JLA struggle to right a world gone wrong is fascinating. What's better is watching the CSA fixing it back to how it should be. Plus there's some awesome J'onn and Aquaman stuff. Action, humor and alternate realities. Always a nice mix.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/cx10-12/jonpick1.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="ComiX-Ten">#1: Camelot 3000 (DC Comics)

My number 1 is a strange pick. I was loathed to initially read this trade because I despise Arthurian legend. England has more than enough quality history without made up tales of debauchery and chivalry. Camelot 3000 was different though. It took the same issues that were prevalent in the legends and flung them amidst the stars. This story showed the soap opera aspects of Arthurian times with the raunch and controversy turned up. Among the love triangles and men trapped in women's bodies there was also some quality action story telling and enough cliffhangers to fill a whole year of soap operas. This book seems bland to be even now when I hype it up. I don't think its possible to do it justice by summarizing it or praising it. I implore you to hunt it down and have a good read. That way you'll know at last how right I am about everything :)

Rebuttals:
Robin: My favorite Avengers story, Garth Ennis killing people in amusing ways and two books by everyone's favorite slap-head anarchist Lord Grant of Morrison? Good work, fella. Never heard of your top choice, though. Camelot? I heard it was only a model.
Raul: Let's review for a moment... You, for some inexplicable reason, dislike manga, while you, however, express your fondness for fart jokes. You refer to your description of your own top choice as bland, and you condone injury to butlers. For shame, Jon, for shame.
Jordan: I think you have a problem, my friend. And I hope that my advice doesn't fall on deaf ears, but...well, this is hard for me to say. I REALLY think you should read more mainstream superhero books. Honestly. You're not going to get anywhere around here with all of those indie and obscure books you seem to enjoy so much. I know, you really like those Vertigo writers like Morrison and Ennis. But you need to just buckle down and conform. Because people are starting to look at you funny, man. Capes, tights and people beating each other up are the wave of the future in comics! Just...just try it out. If not for yourself, then for me...

(this message brought to you by the International Society of Irony and Sarcasm, and its smart-assed bastard affiliates)
Mitch: I guess I'm just not far enough into the DCU to appreciate everything here, especially Crisis and The Flash (takes a lot for me to get into that character). Earth 2 and Rock of Ages on the other hand? Thumbs up. Avengers Under Siege? Wow, I remember this from a long, long time ago. Poor old Jarvis…he didn’t deserve that. Good story? Yeah. Essential? Nope. Onto the big explosions and fart jokes…as much as I love Ennis' initial Punisher run, you need a dose of Preacher for the full Ennis experience. Battle Royale rocks all the way to eleven but why settle on just Volume 3? Some of the best manga out there, even if it is based on a novel. If I'd actually ever read your number one pick I might be able to come up with something witty, but um...I haven't. There's more to England than King Arthur? Yeah.. there's um... Jane Austen and Margaret Thatcher. RULE BRITANNIA!! ;)

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Those are the lists. Go ahead and grab your wallet, and head out to the nearest comic book store… but be sure to vote for your favorite list on your way out.

See you next time!

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The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writers, and are not reflective of ComiX-Fan or its other staff in general.

[Qubic]

Good lists all around, hoping to pick up Squadron Supreme next time I go from comics, hoping to find Bone but I doubt it, but I was expecting to see Watchmen on every list, sort of glad I didn't.

[Kavalier]

Good for you ComiX-Fan! Not posting a predictable column full of news from the current Chicago Comic Conventionlike those OTHER comic book websites.

Just joshin' ya. I just bought Mojo Mayhem at a used book store, but haven't read it yet. Glad to know it wasn't a wasted $2.50.

mk

[gambit007]

I got to be honest, most of those graphic novels I never even SAW at a graphic novel store, and I look often. I agree with the guy above though that I am glad I didn't see Alan Moore's "watchmen" on every list, talk about an overrated novel. "Sandman:dreamhunters" was the only book on these lists that I can completely relate to as being one of my all time favorites. I think if Stardust had made it on the list I would've liked that also. I got to say that a lot of these graphic novels chosen would actually have made it on my top ten WORST graphic novels lists. Did a lot of you all just choose the only graphic novels from 20 years or more ago that you could think of? The worst was "the punisher" by Garth Ennis, I don't think graphic novels come worse then that


-peace Gambit007

[ImpossibleM]

Robin's list had the most hits for me. I would include Maus and Jimmy Corrigan on my list at the top. I'd also put Dracula: A Symphony in Moonlight and Nightmares on the list, too, I was disappointed no one included it.

[John Gleason]

I liked Jordan's list mainly because I've spent money on buying about half of them and it included one of my favorites, Fray.

[metr0man]

So little Sandman!? Yes I realize Endless Nights and Dream Hunters made an appearance, but I'm talking about the actual Sandman, the meat and bones.
It's only the greatest comic series ever written, someone should have recognized "Dream Country" (or "Season of Mists" or "Brief Lives" or "World's End") as truly great trades.
:cuckoo:

[mic]

I barely have a couple of these trades and have only read a handfull of 'em. That really has to do with money issues though.

[Zachary J. Morrison]

I went with Jordan's list, though it only had two books I would definitely recommend and that was Weapon X and X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, but I'd totally recommend picking up Batman: Hush books in hardcover format.

[Mario J. Ramos]

Kevin Smith's Daredevil: Guardian Devil tpb is a must-read too.

[Kevin Sutton]

Top 5 Graphic Novels and collections I've read:

5. Sleeper Vol. 2: All False Moves
4. League of Extraordiary Gentlemen Vol. 1
3. The Dark Knight Returns
2. V is for Vendetta
1. The Watchmen

[Gat0r-ManX]

Good picks, all of you... it's nice to see books like Battle Royale making the list.. but I gotta pick Robin Lewis's list. Amazing mix.

[b. schatz]

Blankets, people. Blankets and Good-bye Chuncky Rice and Sean McKeever's "The Waiting Place".

[M-Angel]

Call me a sinner, a Heretic if you want, but I've never bought One single trade-paperback in my life as a comic book reader (11 years).
Some stories like "God Love Man Kills", etc are great but I'll always prefer the single-issue format there's nothing like the anticipation you get after you finish reading a good comic book and you have to wait for the next issue.
In TB form..there's no such anticipation

[Pong]

i really don't know how no one mentioned the teen titans graphic, "a kid's game". not only is it GOOD, it's CHEAP. EVERYONE should own it just cause it's SOOOOO cheap. 10 bucks american or 15 canadian is amazing. so if you havn't read it already, go and get it. it's so cheap. sacrifice a meal or two at mcdonald's to get it.

[Wolverine]

fantastic. I love this column

[darkelf63]

I liked Jordan's list mainly because I've spent money on buying about half of them and it included one of my favorites, Fray.


Ditto. However almost every list had at least three that I ahd not read and wanted to.

Cerebeus never really caught me either though...

[Zeb Aslam]

I voted for Jordan for one simple reason...Fray ruleth! :D

[Marty P]

I voted for Jordan's list, though I must admit mainly because he listed most of the books I read.

Loved the entry for Mojo Mayhem! It really is a great and funy book.

[Douglas Cuckler]

Jordan had me at Skinwalker. Should have ranked higher, but hey. GO BUY NOW.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

hey, you think i liked ranking Blue Monday at 9? They were just in really good company. :D If it puts it in perspective at all, they beat out all of the 100 Bullets, Invisibles, Transmetropolitan, Preacher, Books of Magic and Sandman trades (on a technicality in my consideration process, true...but still!).

please don't be mad at me, Nunzio and Christina!

[Dylan McKay]

Great lists all round, had to go with Raul, just because I love quirky fun. Pitch a Barry Ween in there and I'm SOLD! I also had to try and stand up against the Jordanslaught.

[Jon Hancock]

So anyone going to hunt out Camelot 3000? It's a really good read. (yay I'm second! The last place theory must work!)

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

i'm really worried i'm only getting so many votes because i had a couple of X-related titles on my list. And while i feel they do deserve to be there, i think it's a great disservice both to the other incredible books on my list and the beautiful and eclectic blend of books on my friends' lists as well.

Really, guys, read the descriptions of these books, see what intrigues and is appealing to you and when you can go out and buy them. What the industry needs now more than ever is support for diversity.

[bravelybravesirrobin]

I voted for Jordan's list primarily because I ALWAYS vote for Jordan's list. With a few minor disputes we seem to have the exact same taste in comics (and always disagree about Exiles)

but one thing needs to be said

V?

I am a HUGE Moore fan, he is easily the single greatest writer working in the comics medium in it's entire short history. The man has never produced anything bad as even his earliest works like Halo Jones and Dr and Quitch are considered classics and are simply stonking reads.

but V. this is easily his worst creator controlled project. As well as suffering from a lot of the problems of a fairly new writer it just lacks in areas where Moore has proven he can excel. None of the great characterisation of Swamp Thing or Halo Jones (or even Dr and Quitch) V is a cipher fine but every other character (minus the good doctor) is equally bland. It has none of the atmosphere of swamp thing of from hell, none of the intellectual prowess of from hell or the league, none of the fantastic story telling ability of watchmen (although this is probably its strongest area) and no inventiveness at all.

The entire book is basically 1984 the comic as the apocalyptic future borrows FAR too heavily from 1984 and doesn't really have anything new to say about Orwellian visions.


not bad per se but you would need a whole lsit of moore really before i would consider placing it on there.

[Alex Guillen]

Jordan's list was the best for me.
I think everyone has different tastes in comics and that is showed here although jordan did leave the classics out because as he said: if you haven't read them then mgiht as well start there before any of these.
I really liked that Jon included Camelot 3000, really underestimated.

Well I might as well take a trip to the trades section this weekend and order some.

[NMBradbury]

Vertigo noobs. Where is Hellblazer: Rake at the gates of hell or Dangerous Habits? Where is Swamp Thing: The Curse? Where is Preacher: That one where he rescues Cassidy from the inbred Jesus child and the incredibly fat archbishop? Honestly. And no Y: TLM or Fables. Are Marvel sponsoring you guys?

[Lord Exodus]

Good lists!

5. Batman: Year One
4. Batman: Arkham Asylum
3. God Love Man Kills
2. Batman: Dark Knight Returns
1. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

[Lobster Johnson]

I like Jordan's list, just because he has the Inhumans on it.
But I gotta go with Mitch. The Dark Knight Returns is just pure gold.

[Joel Phillips]

Are Marvel sponsoring you guys?

Marvel entries- 8
DC entries- 21

If Marvel is sponsoring us, they're not really getting their money's worth are they? ;)

[Vector]

Marvel entries- 8
DC entries- 21

If Marvel is sponsoring us, they're not really getting their money's worth are they? ;)


Burn! :flamed:

I voted for Mitch. :cool:

[James Groves]

Great lists. It came down to Jordan and Robin for me, although it was quite even all round, but Robin had Bone, From Hell, Maus, batman yr.1 and Watchmen so he got my vote.

i think what this tells us though is that there is a whole load of quality around, u just need to search for it :)

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

I voted for Jordan's list primarily because I ALWAYS vote for Jordan's list. With a few minor disputes we seem to have the exact same taste in comics (and always disagree about Exiles)

but one thing needs to be said

V?

I am a HUGE Moore fan, he is easily the single greatest writer working in the comics medium in it's entire short history. The man has never produced anything bad as even his earliest works like Halo Jones and Dr and Quitch are considered classics and are simply stonking reads.

but V. this is easily his worst creator controlled project. As well as suffering from a lot of the problems of a fairly new writer it just lacks in areas where Moore has proven he can excel. None of the great characterisation of Swamp Thing or Halo Jones (or even Dr and Quitch) V is a cipher fine but every other character (minus the good doctor) is equally bland. It has none of the atmosphere of swamp thing of from hell, none of the intellectual prowess of from hell or the league, none of the fantastic story telling ability of watchmen (although this is probably its strongest area) and no inventiveness at all.

The entire book is basically 1984 the comic as the apocalyptic future borrows FAR too heavily from 1984 and doesn't really have anything new to say about Orwellian visions.


not bad per se but you would need a whole lsit of moore really before i would consider placing it on there.

as similar as our tastes may or may not be, i have to disagree with every single thing you say here. Let me address your last point first...in that this is so widely different from 1984 both in purpose and within the text itself. Oceania (Orwell's England and America) was ruled by a Socialist regime in a world constantly at war with itself. England in V is ruled by the Norsefire fascist party, neo-Nazis, in a world where the worst war has already occurred and the only country England is at war with is Scotland. and while it's true that socialism and fascism have more in common than they'd like to admit, about the only thing in common with Big Brother and Fate are that they keep the populace in line with a measure of fear and poverty. And hell, that's just an element that's common in most dystopic literature. About the only one to truly break the mold that I've read is Brave New World, controlling the populace through unchecked freedom to create complacency. The Party in 1984 is far more insidious and abstract than Norsefire, whose hierarchy is clearly laid out within the first few chapters. As for purpose...Orwell's world was intended to both show the flaws of society as it existed at the time (the original title was 1948...but his publisher didn't think it would sell, so he amped up some of the sci-fi elements and put it in the near future), examine where we might be headed along the current political path that he saw and try to rouse people to action to prevent it. Because, as the novel shows, once "they" are in power, they're extremely difficult if not impossible to get rid of. V, on the other hand, shows a possible future brought about by possible but not inevitable circumstances. A fascist party that CAN and MUST be defeated by the protagonists of V and Evey. So really, the only Orwellian aspect i can see is that they're both in the dystopia genre, of which there are certain tropes and conventions that they (and many other books) employ. It's like saying Swamp Thing borrows too heavily from horror books or LOEG borrows too heavily from Victorian literature, pulps and boy's own stories. Those are the genres they're emulating, so it's to be expected.

As for your other points...well, they're subjective i suppose. But i think the story is chock full of characterization, atmosphere, intelligence and some of the damn finest storytelling on both Moore and Lloyd's parts that I've seen. So I really don't understand where you're coming from on this. Though one of the reasons it's my favorite Moore work, even over such masterpieces as Watchmen, From Hell and Swamp Thing, is for its philosophical purity. In his other works, he's more experienced and matured as a writer, true. But the philosophies of his works become complex and muddled up in each other. Which is excellent and kudos to him for it because it's an intensely difficult process as a writer. As a reader, though, a story with that kind of purity and intensity of vision, where the narrative is the philosophy...especially a story whose philosophy i AGREE with...is far more immediately engaging and in the end satisfying to me. Others disagree. That's fine. I have nothing but my own taste and judgment to go on here. :)

[dopplegager]

Jordon your list is tops.

Float On

[Mitch Brown]

Vertigo noobs. Where is Hellblazer: Rake at the gates of hell or Dangerous Habits? Where is Swamp Thing: The Curse? Where is Preacher: That one where he rescues Cassidy from the inbred Jesus child and the incredibly fat archbishop? Honestly. And no Y: TLM or Fables. Are Marvel sponsoring you guys?

Considering there wasn't a single Marvel title in my list..well..um..yeah, obviously my wallet is just bursting with under-the-table dollars from Joey Q's himself.. :rolleyes:

Preacher and Swamp Thing got honorables from me. As I stated in my list I didn't want to include anything that wasn't a self-contained story. Way too hard to split hairs between things like Alamo, The Invisible Kingdom or the Curse.

To be honest, I think the seven TPBs of the Invisibles are better (or at least more of an influence on me) than the rest of my Top 10, but one: how boring would that be and two: I don't beliee that everyone should actually own them because there's a lot of people out there that wouldn't get as much back from that series.

Also, to rebutt the rebuttals/comments on the "obvious" selections like Watchmen and DKR, stating that everyone alread owns them? Maybe so, but the topic wasn't "Top 10 Trades/Graphic Novels that no one on ComiX-Fan has read except me" ;)

On a more positive note - thanks for the votes those that have...keep 'em coming :cool:

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

i avoided the obvious ones because i knew someone else would mention them and i wanted to diversify. To be fair, everything on my top ten ranks about equally in my enjoyment with the "obvious" fare (Watchmen, DKR, Kingdom Come) and the individual series that have been collected, which i also avoided for the reasons i stated above (Sandman, Invisibles, Swamp Thing, Preacher, 100 Bullets, Queen and Country, Transmetropolitan, Bone, Authority, Planetary...you begin to see where i'm going with this?)

And that "one pick per writer" rule i gave myself really hurt. You think i wouldn't have put Arkham Asylum or Earth 2 on this list if i could? You know how much it physically pained me to eliminate Death: The High Cost of Living and the original Books of Magic from my consideration? It hurt! A lot! But such is life and we're forced to make hard choices sometimes...alas...

[Mitch Brown]

Yeah, what he said ;)

One other problem with a list like this, is the fact that it becomes increasingly hard to differentiate between all of the picks. Yeah, I like V better than Jimmy Corrigan I suppose, but I tell you, the margin is exceptionally slim.

One thing about my list (And any most other ComiX-Ten's I have participated in), I've tried to keep an audience in mind that isn't necessarily the longtime and hopefully well-read ComiX-Fan. The usual target group I am envisaging by the word "everyone" in the title are comic book "newbies", casual readers and other categories of non-hardcore comicheads. In retrospect, maybe that was the wrong thing to do, but hey, even if I don't get the votes, I'm happy enough if one person out there runs out an picks up Halo Jones, Understanding Comics or V for the first time because of my list.

[Nunzio DeFilippis]

please don't be mad at me, Nunzio and Christina!

That's it, Maxwell, you're on my list now!

Actually, it was cool to have any of our books up on any of the lists. I'm not gonna complain.

If you guys liked SKINWALKER, you should check out our other Oni work. Oni could use the money to make more Blue Monday!

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

That's it, Maxwell, you're on my list now!

Actually, it was cool to have any of our books up on any of the lists. I'm not gonna complain.

If you guys liked SKINWALKER, you should check out our other Oni work. Oni could use the money to make more Blue Monday!

There is much wisdom in this man. :cool:

(and i hope that list is a good one...:hrm:)

[NMBradbury]

Dear Lord, do you people actually expect me to have facts to back up my opinions? You clearly haven't read many of my posts. These boards are a lot more fun when you just make stuff up. But my point still stands. No Hellblazer or Preacher is just plain wrong. I can see where some of you are coming from, leaving them off-wise, and you have put in some good choices instead, it's not like '1: Uncanny X-Men (Claremont). 2. New X-Men 3. X-Treme X-Men 4. Weapon X' or any similar ridiculous choices, but Preacher is probably my favourite comic and I was annoyed that noone even mentioned it.

[Rictor]

Hmmmm, well, to be honest, Im an unapologetic die-hard x-men fan, so many of the choices were lost on me, but yes, diversity is always a good thing and even though an eternally impoverished student like myself will probably never have the money to buy half the recommended titles, its quite cool to see you guys champion the likes of Bone...doesnt quite explain the lack of the Dark Phoenix Saga from your lists though!?!?

[Robin Lewis]

Hmmmm, well, to be honest, Im an unapologetic die-hard x-men fan, so many of the choices were lost on me .......................... its quite cool to see you guys champion the likes of Bone...doesnt quite explain the lack of the Dark Phoenix Saga from your lists though!?!?

There is so much more that comics have to offer than generic (if excellent) superheroics. I wanted to offer a bunch of different things with my list, fantasy, real-life stories, historical stuff, super-heroes too: but variety was what I was after. Comics can do anything, and I think we should do all we can to see that this diversity is rewarded.

Dark Phoenix saga? Not as good as anything on my list. I've always thought that the best super-hero stories are those that operate in a closed system (i.e. that story/GN is all there is, no need to buy anything else), hence choosing Watchmen. No backstory or heavy continuity to cope with. Even Year One can be considered a closed system, sort of like DKR, as it doesn't really come into contact with anything in the mainstream DC universe. OK, I know it's the origin of Batman, but it exists perfectly on its own. Hell, I'm beginning to think that Grant Morrison's New X-Men can be considered another example of a closed system: they've distanced themselves from so much of it it's like it took place in a different universe.

In summary, vote for me, because I'm right.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

Dear Lord, do you people actually expect me to have facts to back up my opinions? You clearly haven't read many of my posts. These boards are a lot more fun when you just make stuff up. But my point still stands. No Hellblazer or Preacher is just plain wrong. I can see where some of you are coming from, leaving them off-wise, and you have put in some good choices instead, it's not like '1: Uncanny X-Men (Claremont). 2. New X-Men 3. X-Treme X-Men 4. Weapon X' or any similar ridiculous choices, but Preacher is probably my favourite comic and I was annoyed that noone even mentioned it.

well, to be fair, a couple of us DID mention it...just none of us selected any of the volumes (though if i were to...it'd be a tough three way call between Until The End of the World, Salvation and The Alamo). :)

Hmmmm, well, to be honest, Im an unapologetic die-hard x-men fan, so many of the choices were lost on me, but yes, diversity is always a good thing and even though an eternally impoverished student like myself will probably never have the money to buy half the recommended titles, its quite cool to see you guys champion the likes of Bone...doesnt quite explain the lack of the Dark Phoenix Saga from your lists though!?!?

sure it does...because as good as Dark Phoenix Saga is, it doesn't (in the opinion of these panelists) quite match up to those stories selected, honorably mentioned or snuck in winkingly as "we couldn't pick these, but here they are anyway."

Hey, I'm a die hard X-Men fan as well...but even i know there's plenty of stories in the industry that could punt Charlie's kids around the soccer field for a few rounds. :p V rules, England Prevails, nuff said. :cool:

[Nathan J. Wilson]

My five would be, (in no particular order)

The Crow;
From Hell;
Batman - Year One;
Kingdom Come;
The Invisibles - Counting to None

(With Preacher - Until the End of the World fighting tooth and nail to get in!)

Tho ask me tomoro and I'll probably give you a different list! ;)

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

My five would be, (in no particular order)

The Crow;
From Hell;
Batman - Year One;
Kingdom Come;
The Invisibles - Counting to None

(With Preacher - Until the End of the World fighting tooth and nail to get in!)

Tho ask me tomoro and I'll probably give you a different list! ;)

Good list...except i'd probably replace Counting to None with either Entropy in the UK or Bloody Hell in America.

The Crow is solid...but i find it hard to consider because of it's rather weak beginnings. By the end, O'Barr's got his craft down and the book is a piece of artistic genius. But in the beginning, some of it comes off as very slapdash and a little amateurish. Though i suppose that's one of the beauties of the work...watching the craft evolve over the course of the story itself...so, like i said, good list. :)

[Ken Boehm]

I pick Jon's to be the best. Why? Because I could give a flying flip about all of those indy comics out there (except for about 2). I have always been of the feeling that indy writers get praise just because they aren't in the mainstream and it makes people feel like they're trying to act so "hip" to read and pick these obscure titles (think the movie High Fidelity). I know, I know, "the man" has gotten hold of my mind, man, and I need to take the lyrics to freebird to heart, etc. but tough :)

A writer who has the ability to take a character who was not their creation in the first place and make that character better in ways the originator never thought of will always be a better writer in my mind than some of these Indy/Vertigo writers.

That's just my ranting though (let the fists fly)

Jon's list had good, solid stuff on it (Squadron Supreme! Hooray!). I would have put the Daredevil: Hardcore TPB on the list though, because it's just the best. And an Ultimate Spider-Man TPB just because of Bagley's art.

[William Claypool]

I pick Jon's to be the best. Why? Because I could give a flying flip about all of those indy comics out there (except for about 2). I have always been of the feeling that indy writers get praise just because they aren't in the mainstream and it makes people feel like they're trying to act so "hip" to read and pick these obscure titles (think the movie High Fidelity). I know, I know, "the man" has gotten hold of my mind, man, and I need to take the lyrics to freebird to heart, etc. but tough :)

A writer who has the ability to take a character who was not their creation in the first place and make that character better in ways the originator never thought of will always be a better writer in my mind than some of these Indy/Vertigo writers.

That's just my ranting though (let the fists fly)

Jon's list had good, solid stuff on it (Squadron Supreme! Hooray!). I would have put the Daredevil: Hardcore TPB on the list though, because it's just the best. And an Ultimate Spider-Man TPB just because of Bagley's art.

I had a long reply written, but really, what’s the point? I could make an argument that this is like saying you don’t watch movies that aren’t remakes, sequels, or adapted from other works, but I looked at last month’s sales yesterday and realize I’d only be wasting my time. Recycled ideas dominate the chart, and that trends looks to continue for the foreseeable future. Going through the list, there’s only one creator-owned/original idea in the top 50 and that’s Marvel’s new acquisition Powers. There are scores of others who think Indie works are inferior simply because they aren’t Marvel/DC properties or feature marketable characters, so how can I convince you or anyone else that might be an ignorant/blinded philosophy? Many are set in their ways, and I would only be wasting my time (which I’ve done enough of in this paragraph). So try something new or don’t, whatever. Just whatever it is you buy, make sure it’s something you truly enjoy because really, that’s the only thing that matters.

Oh, and nice lists guys.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

I pick Jon's to be the best. Why? Because I could give a flying flip about all of those indy comics out there (except for about 2). I have always been of the feeling that indy writers get praise just because they aren't in the mainstream and it makes people feel like they're trying to act so "hip" to read and pick these obscure titles (think the movie High Fidelity). I know, I know, "the man" has gotten hold of my mind, man, and I need to take the lyrics to freebird to heart, etc. but tough :)

A writer who has the ability to take a character who was not their creation in the first place and make that character better in ways the originator never thought of will always be a better writer in my mind than some of these Indy/Vertigo writers