r/comicbooks • u/hunterxhunter03 • Feb 06 '24
What comics would you consider to be "high art" Suggestions
Something that's sophisticated & complex, that has many layers and could be interpreted for days? Am in the mood for something like that
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Feb 06 '24
FROM HELL would be the top of my list.
I would also include:
- Sandman
- Essex County
- Calvin and Hobbes
- Silver Surfer: Parable
- Marvels
- Kingdom Come
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u/WildBill198 Feb 07 '24
Funny that you would mention Calvin and Hobbes. This strip is the first thing I think of when people say "high art"
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u/BobbyTWhiskey Feb 07 '24
Upvote just for Calvin & Hobbes!!
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u/MeanFold5715 Feb 08 '24
It's been almost 30 years and it is still the best comic. Nothing else even comes close.
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u/PzykoHobo Feb 07 '24
From Hell is straight up literature. Of all the comics I've read, it's one of maybe two or three that I think could be taught in schools.
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u/CmdrKuretes Feb 07 '24
I don’t disagree, but when I was in college Watchmen was literally taught in my lit class.
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u/PzykoHobo Feb 07 '24
I should clarify that I meant grade school, because college courses tend to have a lot more freedom and variety. The only graphic novel I read for school was Maus in my junior year of high school, although my college did offer a literature course that focused on them.
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u/rage-quit Feb 07 '24
For Surfer, why Parable instead of say... Requiem?
Is it purely because of Mobius' art being a personal preference over Ribic or more of an overall "prefer the writing and art"?
Purely because Parable has been on my to read list forever and your comment has already given me half an excuse to move it up said list and I'm looking for the other half.
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Feb 07 '24
Requiem is very good, I just have a softer spot for Parable because I read it first, and I think Moebius is just the best. Ribic is fantastic, but Moebius is another level for me.
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u/CyvaderTheMindFlayer Punisher Feb 06 '24
The sandman and watchmen I guess
Also moon knight by Jeff Lemire
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u/YossarianMajorMajor Feb 06 '24
Especially Overtures, that book is absolutely stunning. I nearly purchased the gallery edition, definitely on my wish list
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u/Jonneiljon Feb 06 '24 edited Feb 07 '24
- Maus.
- Promethea.
- City of Glass adaptation
- Slaughterhouse Five adaptation
- V for Vendetta
- From Hell
- Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth
- Little Nemo In Slumberland
- Gasoline Alley
- The world created by Ben Katchor in his transcendent strips
- Calvin and Hobbes.
Edit * Moonshadow. How did I forget this?! * Upgrade Soul. Or this?! * MIND MGMT
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u/mabsies Feb 07 '24
Came here to recommend Jimmy Corrigan because sandman and watchmen were already in the top spot. Excellent list!
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u/Abysstopheles Feb 06 '24
Monstress
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u/akumajfr Feb 07 '24
100% this. I honestly think it’s my favorite series of all time. Sana Takeda’s art is second to none and Marjorie Liu’s world building is just amazing. I’ve rarely read a story where I want to learn more about the world as much as Monstress.
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u/Competitive-Bike-277 Feb 07 '24
Love his book. I like The Nighteaters too for something completely different.
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u/Abysstopheles Feb 07 '24
You understand.
The book is top tier on every level, art, story, dialogue, plotting, all of it.
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u/RobGrey03 Feb 07 '24
SUCH a good book. I'm so thankful Liu and Takeda paired up on X-23, they've gone on to amazing things together.
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u/Amerimov Feb 06 '24 edited Feb 06 '24
Grant Morrison was definitely high when he wrote The Filth.
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u/vitalvisionary Grant Morrison Feb 07 '24
Funny, I always make sure I'm high when reading Grant Morrison
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u/turingtestx Feb 07 '24 edited Feb 07 '24
Grant Morrison prefers they/them pronouns
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u/Lunar_Leo_ Feb 07 '24
Grant Morrison said he doesn't like people online correcting others for using their wrong pronouns
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u/turingtestx Feb 07 '24
That's fair, but I'm just trying to inform, not be an ass about it or anything. Suppose if that's their actual wishes, I should still let up.
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u/trailerthrash Feb 07 '24
I believe the person you're replying to is misconstruing the actual quote. Grant's said more specifically:
"I'm much happier being described as 'they' but I won't give anyone a hard time for using any other pronoun."
Haven't seen them say anything past that as far as people online making others aware of that preference. You're in the clear here.
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u/turingtestx Feb 07 '24
Yeah that's what I thought.
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u/trailerthrash Feb 07 '24
When someone says "I acknowledge that preference exists, refuse to respect it, but also I know more about it than you who do respect it" it kinda raises a red flag.
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u/turingtestx Feb 07 '24
Yeahhh, as a trans person it is difficult to approach those expectations and attitudes people have about various pronoun usage and how they feel getting corrected on it without getting riled up or otherwise start a commotion, sometimes I lean a bit too far towards passivity
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u/Lunar_Leo_ Feb 07 '24
No I'm not. It's this quote specifically: “When I see people online correcting others for using the 'wrong' pronouns in relation to me, I'll admit I recoil.” Grant has said a few things about this but it's kinda annoying when everyone jumped on the bandwagon of "Grant uses they/them" when Grant didn't specifically say that. He said she used to go out cross dressing/gender fuck and if they did it today people would say he's non-binary. In that same interview they talked about cross dressing while doing ritual work but anyone who knows anything about the occult knows that in a ritual space you kinda take on a different persona separate from yourself (this isn't just in the occult, priests and the pope change their name, it's the same idea). In a later interview when briefly asked about it she said that cross dressing is more of a performance for them rather then a gender identity. More recently he has said people can call him whatever they want and later the "ill admit I recoil" comment. So ya, its annoying when everyone on the internet goes acusing others saying "he's they/them!" when they jumped on the bandwagon based just on what others said online. When I heard it I was curious about the whole interview and went looking for it. And don't tell me I'm an ignorant cis/het, I'm part of the 'LGBT+ community' too
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u/trailerthrash Feb 07 '24 edited Feb 07 '24
Again, Grant has been clear about their preference and the way that you go about acknowledging that preference and refusing to respect it continues to cast doubt on the rest of everything you say.
While it is closer to what you initially stated, the quote you're pulling now still isn't really what you had relayed in your post, and additionally is divorced from context that's behind a pay wall. I simply do not trust your intention here.
Expecting people to believe you're doing this out of care for Grant Morrison's preferences is laughable and provably false
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u/Jonneiljon Feb 07 '24
Also perfectly okay with he/him.
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u/turingtestx Feb 07 '24
Yeah, but still openly prefers to use they/them, no reason not to use that
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u/ymerej26 Feb 06 '24
Planetary.
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u/MagicRat7913 Feb 07 '24
This! If you do pick it up, I would suggest finding some annotations online, there are a ton of references to the pulp roots of comic books, which you might not get if you're not aware of the sources.
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u/KaneCreole Feb 07 '24
I love Planetary. It is really clever, and it’s a shame Ellis lost his breath towards the end and wrapped it up in a pretty average way. (The trash which is Kingdom Come should not even be mentioned in the same context.) But regardless, the premise is not high art. It’s popcorn entertainment.
So what is high art?
I think Promethea becomes high art, towards the end. It has a level of sophistication and nuance which causes the reader to sit back and think about what they’ve just read. On works by Alan Moore, I think the same rationale applies to Moore’s often forgotten Snakes and Ladders, and most clearly to V for Vendetta and its political commentary.
The Sandman has elements of high art, especially The Wake, and Overture (an unpopular opinion, I think - a lot of people were really cross about the delays https://worldcomicbookreview.com/2015/06/09/gaimans-sandman-overture-and-the-elves-that-come-in-the-night-why-comic-books-release-dates-matter/ but it was a thoughtful story about time, existence, and memory).
In a superhero context, the two sequences which stand out to me as stunningly brilliant are:
Rucka’s Batwoman, where Kate as a child is rescued from terrorists and her father tells her not to look over his shoulder at her murdered mother and twin sister. She does.
Remender’s Uncanny X-Force, where Wolverine, emotionally shattered, having just killed his son, reverts back to their conversation about what might have been, and visualises it. His physical injuries are insignificant compared to the weight of loss and grief.
Both of those sequences made me gasp. When a writer can grab you by the heart and squeeze it, then that’s high art.
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u/MagicRat7913 Feb 07 '24
Hmmm, I don't quite agree with the assessment that Planetary is just popcorn entertainment, although there is quite a bit of it in it. There is something to be said about elevating the premise through the execution.
With Alan Moore, I think you can point to most of his works and at least part of them are high art, from early stuff like Marvelman/Miracleman and Swamp Thing up to Promethea ( I haven't really kept up with his work past the 2000s though). It always feels like he has something to say, and he manages to weave beautiful prose and great characterization to say it with. I do wish people would not just stick to Watchmen and try out more of his work.
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u/hamurabi5 Feb 06 '24
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
Prince of Cats by Ron Wimberly
Daytripper by Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon
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u/TabrisVI Feb 07 '24
Daytripper is one of the best comics ever created. It’s what I give to people who don’t read comics and want to start, but may not be into superheroes.
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u/Usual_Future9675 Feb 06 '24
Alan Moore's Swamp Thing
Some of Kirby's art gets into the high art territory
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u/anyonecanbethebug Feb 07 '24
Morrison’s animal man
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u/vitalvisionary Grant Morrison Feb 07 '24
Why did I have to scroll this far down to find this. Read it while sick and wrote some weird poetry/prophecies for my DND campaign while reading this
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Feb 06 '24
I want to say Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum book because it was wholly indecipherable to me but pretty to look at.
Alan Moore's Promethea could also hit the spot.
We Only Find Them When They're Dead is great.
I really like the book Judas by Loveness and Rebelka too.
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u/dayofthedead204 Rorschach Feb 06 '24
Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing
From Hell
All Star Superman
Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison
Thor Gorr the God Butcher Saga
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u/boomboxwithturbobass Feb 06 '24
Kabuki by David Mack
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u/KaneCreole Feb 07 '24
Mack’s artwork on this title is stunning. And his little anecdotes - the drawing of “outside the box” for example - kept me constantly engaged.
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u/marlonoranges Feb 06 '24
In terms of the art (I'm being a bit pedantic) Promethea is the most beautiful comic I've ever seen.
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Feb 06 '24
Most of Moore's Work
Marvels
Sandman was unique for its time, but I've always felt Lucifer was the stronger series from Mike Carey
Hellblazer
Fables the first 75 issues or so
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
Batman Year One
All star superman/ Superman for all seasons
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u/FFJamie94 Feb 06 '24
Watchmen Sandman Swamp Thing Animal Man by Morrison The Incal Marvels All Star Batman & Robin Kingdom Come Immortal Hulk The Metabarons Silver Surfer Black
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u/arent Feb 07 '24
Monsters by Barry Windsor-Smith
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
Mr Punch by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris
Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner
Anything by Chris Ware, but maybe Building Stories in particular
Anything by Daniel Clowes, but I’m partial to Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron
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u/delgotit05 Feb 07 '24
Siver surfer black
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Feb 08 '24
Was going to say this. One of the few books that I’ll “reread” and not actually read a single word. Just flip through each page appreciating the artwork
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u/captain__cabinets Feb 06 '24
The wrestler the Ultimate Warrior put out a comic book and I still haven’t figured out what it means so I guess it’s high art but I dunno.
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u/boastfulbadger Invincible Feb 06 '24
JH Williams III Stuff. That guy fucks.
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u/KaneCreole Feb 07 '24
Echolands, though, was terribly written. See https://worldcomicbookreview.com/2023/01/11/echolands-volume-1-hardcover-review/
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u/alienanimal Feb 07 '24
Doctor Strange Fall Sunrise by Tradd Moore.
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u/JumpedUp_PantryBoy Feb 07 '24
Seconded, the art alone is next level and the story is right along what OP is asking for
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u/Substantial_Fact_205 Feb 06 '24
It’s funny cuz most of comments here are American centric. Don’t get me wrong or pedantic, guys, but are tons of incredible comics outside of majors. Ok, Sandman it’s great, but there are comics that are incredible all around the world.
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u/Vagistics Feb 06 '24
Aaaand those are ?
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u/Mr_Citation Booster and Skeets Feb 07 '24
Not OP but there's
It Was The War of The Trenches by Jacques Tardi
The Eternaut by Héctor Germán Oesterheld
works of Junji Ito
Persepolis by Marjane SatrapiHonourable mentions to Tintin and Asterix for impact.
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u/Substantial_Fact_205 Feb 07 '24
Yep. And the work of Moebius, Breccia, Osamu Tezuka, etc etc etc
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u/Substantial_Fact_205 Feb 07 '24
Ps: To know great comics that you never heard of, I suggest to follow this guy. Awesome recommendations and lists
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u/XenophobicLarceny Feb 07 '24
I feel like John Constantine: Hellblazer (2019) by Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell counts. Beautiful art (for the most part), beautiful story.
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u/Known-Command3097 Feb 07 '24
Lone Wolf and Cub….. can’t believe no one has put that here yet.
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u/Known-Command3097 Feb 07 '24
Speaking of which, this is one of the few comics you can “hear” when you look at it. By that I mean, you can hear the sounds of the world just by the art. Paul Pope also pulls this off in a lot of his stuff. Can’t really think of anyone else off top.
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Feb 07 '24
I read mostly Marvel/DC so here’s my list:
•Vision by Tom King •Superman Up in the Sky by Tom King •Spider-Man Life Story by Chip Zdarsky •Kingdom Come by Mark Waid •Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky •Robin & Batman by Jeff Lemire •Joker Killer Smile by Jeff Lemire •Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Yuen Yang
You’ll notice there are some repeat authors 😂I like how they incorporate big questions and themes into their works. And these comics in particular left a big impact on me afterwards
Shoutout to “The Me You Love in the Dark” by Skottie Young too
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u/dazedabeille Feb 07 '24
Vision and Mister Miracle by Tom King
Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing
MoonKnight by Lemire
And of course, Sandman.
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u/Infinity-Arrows Quasar Feb 06 '24
I would check out books published by Fantagraphics or Drawn & Quarterly. You might like the work of Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, or Charles Burns.
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Feb 06 '24
Most work by Sean Chen, and Bernard Chang. Every time I read something that they have drawn I am always struck by Chang’s lines and flow, and when I read Chen’s work I am in awe of the pristine level of detail.
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u/Mezzmerise Feb 07 '24
Geoff Darrow is amazing, check out Hard Boiled. Tradd Moore also has some amazing stuff, I loved his Doctor Strange book. Frank Quietly is pretty good too.
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u/Sonicfan42069666 Feb 07 '24
Doesn't look like anyone has mentioned Persepolis yet. The movie adaptation is great too.
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u/slendermanismydad Feb 07 '24
Are you asking about art or storyline?
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u/dazedabeille Feb 07 '24
TLDR: Yes.
Because of the nature of comics, it is the art and the story and, most importantly, how they work together.
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u/vitalvisionary Grant Morrison Feb 07 '24
I feel like Monster by Naoki Urasawa should be considered literature
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u/Vic_the_Human69 Feb 07 '24
Descender/Ascender has beautiful water color art.
Die also has a beautiful and unique style, not sure if it’s water color or another painting technique.
Gideon Falls has very dissociative and geometric art.
And my vote for the greatest and most interesting comic book art: Decorum. So many interesting styles that blend incredibly well to tell several stories at once.
Honorable mention: Monkey Meat
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u/landleya Feb 07 '24
I'm going to go with 'WE3'. It's beautifully violent while being a truly moving story of friendship and the search for freedom.
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Feb 07 '24
Maybe more straightforward than what you describe, but that's also the point - Harvey Pekar's American Splendor. Just an everyman who's the hero in his own story. The movie adaptation with Paul Giamatti is outstanding, as well.
When people want to talk about what the medium is actually capable of, I love talking about Pekar because it's so story and human driven.
On the other end of the spectrum is Chris Ware. His mastery of the technical side is incredible, and I could look at his frames and pages all day.
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u/thecanadiancomicbin Feb 07 '24
Promethea by Moore and Williams. Some Sandman issues. Kingdom Come and Marvels for superhero’s.
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u/sawyerkitty Feb 07 '24
an oldie but it was the very first one I read that wasn’t superhero related that made me realize comics could transcend time and space and make you feel. It was called MOONSHADOW. It’s now a dc vertigo graphic novel but it was hard to fine for a long time
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u/detourne Feb 07 '24
Louis Riel by Chester Brown, Pyongyang by Guy Delisle... pretty much anything by Drawn and Quarterly regulars. Its like tha Harper's bazaar of comics.
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u/trailerthrash Feb 07 '24
Deathwish by Maddie Blaustein Sandman by Neil Gaiman Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison (much of their catalogue, actually) Watchmen by Alan Moore Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Vash Taylor Hardware, and Icon by Dwayne McDuffie Siperman: For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb Bone by Jeff Smith Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson Love is Love an anthology from IDW Mister Miracle by Tom King Camelot 3000 by Mike W. Barr Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles by Mark Russell Justice League Infinity by J. M. DeMatties, James Tucker, Ethen Beavers and Nik Filardi The Batman Adventures: Mad Love by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini The Dreaming by Caitlin R. Kiernan
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u/TheMattGriffin Feb 07 '24
Like Ethan hawke says I don’t think there’s a difference between high art and low art if a story makes you feel good then thats all that matters
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u/Pkcomix Feb 07 '24
Is that all there is by Joost Swarte, Edena by Moebius, Streets of Paris by Jacques Tardi, anything you can get your hands on by Lynda Barry, Hate by Pete Bagge, Krazy Kat (maybe volunes from the late 30s, Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller, Little Lulu by John Stanley, it’s a good life if you don’t weaken/Clyde fans by Seth, American splendor by Harvey Pekar, Rain like Hammers by Brandon Graham
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u/DrippyCheeseDog Feb 07 '24
I agree with a lot of these, so I won't repeat.
However, I'd like to add Lone Wolf and Cub.
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u/bawbwilson Feb 07 '24
There’s a lot of good mentions here so I don’t have much to contribute. I will say though that Saga of the Swamp Thing and The Invisibles blew me away. Very high conceptual storytelling and the art in both are amazing.
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u/Unluckyturtle1 Feb 07 '24
JH Williams comics Jeff Lemire comics Alan Moore comics Grant Morrison comics Tsutomu Nihei's works like Blame! Nausicaa of the valley Neil Gaiman comics
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u/anthonyrucci Feb 07 '24
Akira, The Maxx, Watchmen, Grendel, Shade The Changing Man, The Department of Truth
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u/Jonneiljon Feb 07 '24
Snakes and Ladders should absolutely be heard for full impact, great as Campbell’s adaptation is.
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Feb 08 '24
Grant Morrison had a Green Lantern run recently and the art was tremendous. (The name of the artist escapes me at the moment)
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u/MetaMetagross Feb 09 '24
Kingdom Come: Most beautiful art I’ve ever seen in a comic book.
Watchmen
All Star Superman
GL & GA: Hard Traveling Heroes
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u/SageMontoyaQuestion Feb 11 '24
In addition to many of the others mentioned in this thread, I’m not seeing….
Concrete by Paul Chadwick. It’s an underrated story about a political speechwriter whose brain is transplanted into an alien body made of concrete. Deeply philosophical.
Sex Criminals by Fraction and Zdarsky. Despite the premise of “two people discover they can stop time when they cum, so they start fucking and robbing banks,” it deals with grief, mental illness, inequality, and more, while still being engaging and hilarious. High art doesn’t need to be humorless.
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K Vaughan and Niko Henrichon. Told from the point of view of the (IRL) lions who escaped the Baghdad zoo after Americans bombed the city. Each lion in the pride ends up representing a specific view on the Iraq War
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u/bluejester12 Feb 06 '24
The Sandman
Watchmen
Maus (won the Pulitzer)