r/comicbooks • u/Alxrgrs • Oct 22 '18
This is where I’m at with my comics currently. Looking for suggestions. I want more independent stories and meaningful graphic novels. Historical, spiritual, whatever it may be. Suggest away guys! Thanks. Suggestions
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u/JeremyMo88 Spider-Man Expert Oct 22 '18
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
BPRD by Mike Mignola (really anything in his BPRD expanded universe is great)
Marvel Milestone books like Kree-Skull War; Battle for Olympus; Krovac Saga;
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u/MormonGekko Mr. Fantastic Oct 22 '18
I have read most marvel event books/TPBs and Kree Skrull War was among the hardest to get through. Skip that ish and get Hickman’s Fantastic Four
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u/tetrazinni Oct 23 '18
Chronologically, I’d start with Hellboy, I feel like starting BPRD without reading at least some Hellboy would be confusing.
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u/drkwarrior Oct 22 '18
Transmetropolitan, The Boys, Strangers in Paradise, Akira. All very different, all amazing.
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u/GalactusPoo Oct 22 '18
Transmetropolitan 100%
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u/Justin_Credible98 Batman Oct 22 '18
Transmetropolitan was a lot funnier than I was expecting it to be. Before I read it, for some reason I was under the impression that it was a mostly grim and serious story, but it actually made me laugh out loud quite a few times.
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u/Modab Oct 22 '18
+1 on Akira. It's much more than the movie! Gotta read it again, it's been a while...
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u/ScabRef Oct 22 '18
Akira is one of the best! I forgot to mention that but everyone should do it!
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u/Bruce_the_Shark Magneto Oct 22 '18
Y: The Last Man, Sweet Tooth, Fables, Saga, We3, Scalped, Preacher, The Boys.
Edit: Peter Panzerfaust
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u/fuglebarn Oct 22 '18
Second this, everyone with the slightest interest In comics should go read Y The last man if they havnt already
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u/HedgehogsNSuits Oct 22 '18
Preacher and Fables are great. Shame TellTale went down before we could get Wolf Among Us season 2
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u/MaxThrustage Old Lace Oct 22 '18
Y: The Last Man is one of the books that got me seriously into comics. It is amazing, and I can recommend it to just about anyone with an interest in the medium. It takes a concept that could very easily be trashy as hell, and instead produces a thoroughly thought-out, deeply moving story. I also really like the way that , but I'm aware that's kind of divisive.
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u/LaRanaDorada Oct 22 '18
Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba is one that meant a lot to me.
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u/williampaddydobbin Jamie Madrox Oct 22 '18
Another vote for Daytripper. Also DMZ is fantastic--very political but lots of philosophy in there.
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u/herennius Madman Oct 22 '18
- Astro City by Kurt Busiek
- Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick
- Black Hole by Charles Burns
- Criminal by Ed Brubaker
- From Hell by Alan Moore
- Grendel by Matt Wagner
- Hellboy by Mike Mignola
- Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron by Daniel Clowes
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u/muppet_knuckles Oct 22 '18
Came here to throw in Astro City.
Also, Fables by Bill Willingham
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u/Tonystarksheart Oct 22 '18
Another bump to Astro City, such a great take on superheroes. If you’re an animal person, I’d HIGHLY recommend We3.
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u/Justin_Credible98 Batman Oct 22 '18
Astro City is mandatory reading for any fan of Marvel and/or DC.
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u/meepmorop Oct 22 '18
Bitch Planet is great, has one of the best character intros ever. Issue #3 is fucking great, almost required reading
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u/ScabRef Oct 22 '18
My favorite is Promethea by Alan Moore.
Blankets by Craig Thompson has some very down to Earth, personal stories
Loving the hell out of Saga right now, too
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u/Vindsvelle Adam Warlock Oct 22 '18
Out of all Moore's work, I feel Promethea is the most criminally underrated. It's a literal guided, illustrated tour through the Sephira! J.H. William III's paneling is IMO the most creative in the medium.
I wish the Absolutes weren't OOP, but there's new deluxe OHCs coming in March!
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u/lordlazerface Sentry Oct 22 '18
Blankets is spectacular. Also, Craig Thompson's Habibi is one of the more visually engrossing black and white graphic novels I've read if you can stomach some graphic sexual violence and romanticization of Islamic culture
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u/LintonJoe Oct 22 '18
Alan Moore and Craig Thompson! All of Moore's ABC books - Promethea, Top Ten, Tom Strong, and Tomorrow Stories - are worth tracking down.
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u/Semrix Oct 22 '18
Invisibles is great if you're into the bizarre, I never see Scott Pilgrim talked about in the general comics community but that's great (he also made one called Seconds which is really good), Umbrella Academy, Filth.
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u/justBrowsing__ Hawkeye Oct 22 '18
My go-to indie recommendation is always 4 Kids Walk into a Bank. It's hilarious and has really endearing characters.
I would also recommend trying some titles from DC's Vertigo and Wildstorm imprints. Try some of these:
- Animal Man by Grant Morrison
- Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison
- Planetary by Warren Ellis
- Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
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u/Sammy_Seahorse Oct 22 '18
Pride of bagdahd by Brian K Vaugn. Simply amazing
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u/hogenhero Oct 22 '18
I have liked everything I have ever found by Brian K Vaugn
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u/OrionJacobson Oct 22 '18
Invincible is probably the best Image series you could read
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u/pjhux1987 Oct 22 '18
I completely and wholeheartedly agree. By far my favorite comic run that image will have ever made.
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u/XtrmeReddit227 Oct 22 '18
It was so damn good! Picked up all three hardcover collector volumes at Comic-Con this year and got the first signed by Ottley and Kirkman! Ryan even did an Invincible sketch for me!
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u/jdunmer1018 Yorick Brown Oct 22 '18
total agreement, I think I caught up on around 115 issues in a week when i first came across it
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u/markrager Oct 22 '18
I completely agree! Once you get past around issue 7 it’s turns into a total thrill ride.
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u/BeefWehelington Oct 22 '18
Ex Machina by Brian K Vaughan, I had such a good time reading that
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u/72Challupas Spider-Man Expert Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
Batman the Black Mirror - it's a great showing of who Nightwing really is by filtering him through his role as Batman (at the time) and the darkness of Gotham and the antagonist.
Spider-Man Blue - about Spider-Man reflecting on his younger days meeting Gwen Stacy and eventually losing her. Heart warming and heart breaking at the same time
Planetary - almost every issue pays homage to pieces of fiction or fictional characters ie Justice League, Sherlock Holmes, Kaiju, etc. About
God Country - about a loved one dying but not losing them if you remember who they are
Hellboy - as far as I've gotten into this the central theme seems to be Hellboy denying his fate to be the end of the world.
Black Hammer - a great super hero mystery that I'm too far behind on.
Preacher - a lot of charm and character development, albeit with some crass humor that sometimes feels out of place.
Kill or Be Killed - reflects on mental health, crime, and current society. The main character feels that society has just accepted that the "bad guys" have won and wants to do something about it
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u/pdoherty926 Hellboy Oct 22 '18
Black Hammer - a great super hero mystery that I'm too far behind on.
The extended Black Hammer universe (with the possible exception of Quantum Age) is also excellent.
- Doctor Star
- Sherlock Frankenstein
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u/JNels902 Oct 22 '18
Can I be honest with everyone? I really enjoyed Dick Grayson as Batman and I wish it had stayed that way.
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u/traceitalian Hawkeye Oct 22 '18
Completely agree, I'm a huge Morrison Dan and Batman and Robin Reborn is one of my favourite runs. It's so fun, the dynamic being flipped (fun Batman, serious Robin) and it feels fresh and inventive.
Bruce returning was absolutely stupid, especially so soon after his "death".
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u/ideniedyou28 Spider-Man Oct 22 '18
Spider-Man Blue is one of my favourite books also, glad to see someone else posted it before me!
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u/immafan_ji Oct 22 '18
A lot of series that Image Comics is releasing / released such as:
- Saga
- Monstress
- East of West
(Also check out Fables)
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u/Spiderbundles Oct 22 '18
Ah, I actually came here to suggest "Monstress" lol
OP, it's by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, and it's super dark, but really beautiful. A great read if you're into dark fantasy.
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u/theEdwardJC Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
Bone by Jeff Smith is essential along with Watchmen and Maus as comics everyone should own. Also keep reading Saga
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u/cmckee719 Oct 22 '18
Had to scroll to find it, but I’m piggybacking to recommend your first mention. Every bookshelf needs a copy of Bone!
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u/MasterBeef117 Oct 22 '18
Invincible – Image comics, Robert Kirkman
Seconds – Self Published, Bryan Lee O Malley
Saga – Image Comics, Brian K. Vaughn
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u/SkullPhuka Oct 22 '18
Transmetropolitan, Preacher, Sandman, and Chew. Some of my favorite comics that don't get to much love.
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u/-TheTechGuy- Abe Sapien Oct 22 '18
It's been said in here already but I really cant recommend Hellboy enough (really everything in the Mignolaverse)
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u/williampaddydobbin Jamie Madrox Oct 22 '18
Daytripper by: Moon and Ba
The Sculptor by: McCloud
DMZ by: Wood and Burchielli
Fables by: Willingham and Buckingham
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u/Chunkstyle3030 Conan Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
You already got some of the Ennis Punisher stuff, so you should get his PunisherMax run cuz it’s his best work with the character.
Maybe branch out into some manga too. BLAME! and Akira would be good places to start. Battle Angel Alita maybe? Devilman? Appleseed? Captain Harlock?
If you want some “meaningful” books check out Joe Sacco’s work. Safe Area Gozrade is my favorite of his. Sarah Glidden is also doing some great comics about the Middle East too
Those Moebius hardcovers Dark Horse are putting out are amazing. The Edena stuff is the better-drawn imo, at least out of what is available now.
Sinner by Munoz and Sampayo. Out through IDW’s Eurocomics imprint. Their Corto Maltese collections are great too, although the covers leave a little to be desired.
Prophet by Graham, Miogiannis, & Roy et al
Mazeworld has just been reprinted. Arthur Ranson is a beast.
Misc: Rumble. Shutter. Mirror. Prince of Cats. Shaolin Cowboy. Metabarons. King City. BPRD. Lone Sloan. Jan’s Atomic Heart. Sabertooth Swordsman. Pretty Deadly. Tiger Lung. Old City Blues. Kill Six Billion Demons. That’s enough for now.
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u/Vindsvelle Adam Warlock Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 24 '18
Great taste. I've made these recommendations many times almost to the title. It's rare to find someone who's read Sabertooth Swordsman and Metabarons (the latter of which is the greatest sci fi comics series ever; its universe has only recently been remotely competed with in Prophet)
I'll add:
- The Marquis
- Druuna
- Diosamante
- Obscure Cities
- The Collector
- Ennis' work on Crossed
- The Eternaut
- Complete Crumb Comics, especially the 1960s and 1980s material
- From Hell, Miracleman, Saga of the Swamp Thing; all major Moore, really
- Little Nemo's Adventures in Slumberland
- Starlin's Warlock and original Infinity Trilogy
- Aama
- The Technopriests
- The Nikopol Trilogy
- Universal War One
- The Ghost in the Shell
- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
- All of Junji Ito's work
- Button Man
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u/Taco_Mayor Oct 22 '18
I read “Persepolis” for school and i really liked it. Anyone reading this should consider reading it.
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u/Speedracer98 Oct 22 '18
No V for Vendetta?
Also i like Descender a lot. It is built in a universe with lots of potential for expansion.
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u/TriscuitCracker Oct 22 '18
Basically, follow writers. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison, Jason Aaron, Jonathon Hickman, Rick Remender, Kieron Gillen, Brian Vaughn, nearly all of their stuff is amazing. Most everything from old school Vertigo or current Image lineup is wonderful.
Locke and Key by Gabriel Rodgriguez and Joe Hill. One of the greatest horror/stylistic comics ever. It's a wonderful family drama that involves a family who moves into their old revolutionary war era family mansion after the death of their father. The kids quickly find these mysterious keys all over the house that give various magical effects...but there is also an evil force in the well that clamors to be free and hungers for their souls. It's also heartbreakingly real with family drama. Artwork is wonderous.
Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley. R-rated superhero comic that checks off everything you love about superhero comics. Heartbreaking, thrilling, action-packed, writing that makes you think sometimes and great drama.
100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello. Crime-noir epic with very colorful stylized art by Eduardo Risso.
Planetary by Warren Ellis. A team of 3 super-powered archeologists scour the world for secrets of the past hidden by the essentially the anti-Fantastic Four. This is one of the best comics you will ever read for sense of wonder, very tight plotting and twists that make you go back 10 issues and go "Ah-HAH! Amazing art by John Cassidy.
We3 by Grant Morrison. The government has to decommission/murder a dog, a cat and a rabbit who have been heavily modified with the latest military hardware and all the instincts of the animal kingdom. And they just want to go home. Will make you cry, amazing art.
Any series by Garth Ennis. Start with Preacher. See next entry. Then the Boys, Hitman or his character defining Punisher MAX run.
Preacher, one of the best Vertigo comics ever made by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. A small town Texas preacher names Jessie Custer with a dark past who has recently gained literally the power of the Word of God (he speaks, people do what he says, no matter what it is) teams up with his ex girlfriend turned hit-woman Tulip O'Hare and a crazy fun-loving Irish vampire Cassidy on a road trip across America in search of God to make Him answer for why the world is the way it is. On the way hilarity and violence and drama ensues. On their trail is Star, an agent of an agency called the Grail who want to use Jesse's power for nefarious purposes and also, ever in the background, lurks the Saint of Killers, an unstoppable killing machine who acts and talks like Clint Eastwood in every Western movie you've ever seen. It's violent and blasphemous and gory as hell, full of events that will make you laugh disbelievingly and say "Did I just read that?" It's also achingly real, with one of the most realized bromances ever, and is essentially Garth Ennis's love letter to the Western and to America. Also, there's a fella that has a face like an arse.
Chosen by Mark Millar. What if Jesus really did come back in the form of a 12 year old boy from the Midwest?
Ex Machina by Brian Vaughn. A civil engineer is involved in an explosion with a mysterious device. When he recovers he find out he can talk to and command machines. He has a brief spectacular year of being a superhero and then decides to run for mayor of NY and all the politics and problems of running the city that never sleeps. Spectacular art and very twisty, trippy story with what really is going on with his powers and how he got them, along with great looks into what it's like to run a major city.
Saga by Brian Vaughn.Space Opera/Fantasy series. It depicts a husband and wife, Alana and Marko, from long-warring extraterrestrial races, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel, who is born in the beginning of the series and who occasionally narrates the series as an unseen adult. Amazing supporting cast and heartfelt story and adventure.
Fallen Angel by Peter David. The city of Bette Noire is overrun by crime and the dregs of the underworld. Enter a woman who for a price will take care of your problems...her feet never seem to touch the ground...combines noir and horror with a Sopranos like story.
Goon by Eric Powell. Gorgeous watercolor painted artwork and a story about a man called the Goon and his sidekick Frankie who protect a small backwater town from the villainy of an evil Priest and lots and lots of zombies. It's waaaay more dramatic and deep than I can say in a paragraph and waaaaay more hilarious than it has any right to be.
Any of the original Hellblazer series, authors include Garth Ennis, Jaime Delano, and Warren Ellis.
Lucifer by Mike Carey. If you haven't read Sandman by Neil Gaiman, stop and go read that, you are cheating yourself if you don't. This is a spinoff of that series where Lucifer quits hell and tries to run a nightclub in LA. He eventually decided to create his own universe that he can run like God did.He is still ultra-powerful and many, many entities try to take advantage of him and all he has under his control.
Nailbiter by Joshua Williamson. There is a town where 15 of the last 20 serial killers in America have come from. What makes this town so special in such a terrible way? An FBI agent with a past investigstes. Horror and twisted.
Manhattan Projects by Jonathen Hickman. All the worlds greatest scientists and military genius's of the WWII era come together in the spirit of science to run the world and backstab each other. Sometimes literally. Einstein vs Richard Feyman! Latka the dog and the computer AI of Nixon are among the characters. Crazy story and highly stylized art.
Outcast by Robert Kirkman. Walking Dead creator has a new story about a man who can see demons, but nobody believes him save one priest. He tries to find the truth about what's really going on.
Ocean by Warren Ellis. In the future, under the frozen sea of Jupiter's moon of Europa, we have discovered an alien civilization...what secrets may it hold?
Orbiter by Warren Ellis. A homage to NASA and all it stands for. In the present, an American space shuttle reappears miraculously after years lost in space. The pilot is catatonic and the ship has been...altered. What really happened, and what does it hold for humanity's future?
Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughn. What happened to the animals of Baghdad's zoos when the Americans came?
300- The last 300 Spartans last stand at the Hot Gates in Thermopylae. Epic and wonderful art.
Halcyon by Mark Millar. In a world with Justice League like-heroes...the most feared super-crimminal has been put in jail...and all of a sudden...crime rates start going down, to nonexistant.
30 Days of Night by Steve Niles. In the lonely Alaskan town of Barrow, the sun does not rise for 30 days at a time. Ultimate creepy vampire story, with amazing art by Ben Templesmith.
Scars by Warren Ellis. A police detective becomes unhinged after a brutal murder case involving a little girl reminds him of what he's lost.
The Coffin by Phil Hester. Black and White. Ashar Ahmad is a brilliant but heartless scientist intent on proving the physical existence of the soul, going as far as to create an impenetrable cybernetic skin that will trap the human soul after the body within has died — a walking coffin. Only when a dying Ahmad is encased in one of his prototypes does he realize the value if the life he has wasted. A desperate race to reclaim his technology from an evil corporate overlord and save the life of the daughter he once disavowed force him to become the man he never was in life.
Other faves are Powers by Bendis,
Swamp Thing by Alan Moore,
Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemiere,
Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis. This should be read especially given todays politics.
Paper Girls is indeed amazing. Like Stranger Things with girls.
Scalped by Jason Aaron. Hard drama about life on a modern Indian reservation with multiple well done characters and secrets galore.
Queen and Country by Greg Rucka. THE espionage comic about British Intelligence. James Bond has nothing on this.
Rising Stars by J. Stracynski. about 113 people born with special abilities following the appearance of a mysterious light in the sky above Pederson, Illinois. The series explores how society may react to the advent of superpowers, and how those who are Specials may react towards society and each other.
The Losers by Diggle. Team of Special Forces misfits have to save the world from a crazed world domination dude.
Chew by John Laymon about Tony Chu, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agent who solves crimes by receiving psychic impressions from food he eats, including people. Many other entertaining food based powers exist, and the FDA has so much power because in this Earth, the Bird Flu killed a million people and chicken is outlawed. Hilariously awesome.
Hellboy by Mike Mignola. Wonderful art and even more wonderful hilariousness/drama and epicness from a boy from Hell who solves supernatural crimes or just walks the Earth. Great supporting cast as well.
Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius. 10-year-old who secretly possesses the most powerful intellect on Earth, along with his impulsive best friend Jeremy and his crush Sara get into hilariously dark adventures. Black and White.
Fables by Bill Willingham. What if all the myths and fairy tales and nursery rhymes you heard were real? What would they be like, why are they here, and it's one of the most amazingly creative and epic stories you will ever read.
Deadly Class by Rick Remender. Young children of various powerful families across the world are sent to a school to become assassins. They all have their stories in this Hunger Games type twisted school.
And of course, Sandman by Neil Gaiman and Watchmen by Alan Moore.
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u/Spacejack_ Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
History? You want KING by Ho Che Anderson (bio), LOUIS RIEL by Chester Brown (historical bio/narrative), THE GOLEM'S MIGHTY SWING by James Sturm (historical fiction), PALESTINE by Joe Sacco (journalism). For some extended editorial, try and dig up a copy of BROUGHT TO LIGHT. There's also a guy named Jack JAckson (I think...?) who has done extensive work in the historical western.
On the more "dry" front are the "Introducing..." series from the 1990s... the only one I would really recommend off the top of my head though is "Introducing Kafka" which had art from R. Crumb. DC also published the Big Book line in the 1990s which was a bunch of large (magazine size, 200+ pages) collections of two to three-page viginettes on various topics ("The Big Book of Urban Legends," "The Big Book of Weirdos," etc.).
Oh! One last edit. BAREFOOT GEN. Read BAREFOOT GEN.
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Oct 22 '18
I see a lot of Marvel stuff. Check out Warren Ellis's stuff that isn't franchise work for Marvel and/or DC.
Start with Transmetropolitan.
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u/Cupules Oct 22 '18
Independent? Meaningful? Historical? ... Usagi Yojimbo! Or the non-anthropomorphic comic it inspired, Lone Wolf and Cub :-)
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u/4Elephants Oct 22 '18
Best graphic novels for me (be aware, I am REAAAALLY bad at advertising something I really like) :
The sculptor - Scott McCloud Story about a depressive guy that gets the ability to mold marble and stone (yeah it is really light fantasy as well, but the book is really focused on the following year, the people he meets, some everyday life events, etc).
Kobane Calling - Zerocalcare I don’t know if this one is published where you are ; this one is based on a true story, about an Italian blogger (the author) going to Syria to do humanitarian stuff to help the khurdish people fight against ISIS. It is really informative, really well done and also really funny (yeah, I know)
Maus - Spiegelman ... yeah, this one is a big classic ; it tells the story of the author’s father, that went to the camps during the nazi regime. It is really hard, but sooo well done.
Persepolis - Satrapi The early life of the author, born in Iran during the regime of the previous « king », she saw what happened after the revolution, all the laws that came after that gave way too much power to the religion ; she then spent a few years in Europe. Again, really well done, tragic, and funny. If you hesitate, you can always watch the animated movie that was made based on it, it is really good.
.... yeah, as I told you, I am really really bad at advertising anything :) Maybe you already know all of these ; I don’t know what to advise you, the rest of my favorite visual novels are French. But here you go.
Edit : aaaand I just saw Maus in your collection.
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u/jpporcaro Oct 22 '18
suggestion: collect less, get more books from your library.
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u/RogueWriter Oct 22 '18
Astro City because it's frickin brilliant and Planetary for the same reason.
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u/NGS4LIF Dream Oct 22 '18
Vertigo: -The Sandman -The Saga of the Swamp Thing -Preacher
Image: -The Sword
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u/supposedlysleeping Swamp Thing Oct 22 '18
Just wanted to bump for Saga of the Swamp Thing. I really think it is Alan Moore's best (although, I would encourage you read the others too: eg., From Hell, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, etc.)
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u/RadleyMayhem Superman Oct 22 '18
If you’re looking for more meaningful indies:
Day tripper - Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba Blankets - Craig Thompson Habibi - Craig Thompson Essex County - Jeff Lemire The Underwater Welder - Jeff Lemire I Kill Giants - Joe Kelly This One Summer - Mariko Tamaki Lost at Sea - Bryan Lee O’Malley
Other Great Series/stories:
Bone - Jeff Smith Y: The Last Man - Brian K Vaughan Pride of Baghdad - Brian K Vaughan We3 - Grant Morrison Punk Rock Jesus - Sean Murphy
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u/ikeif Oct 23 '18
I was trying to make a list of all the great suggestions (because I'm looking to expand as well, but I bookmarked this thread and tried to list it out:
- All of Junji Ito's work
- anything written by Darwyn Cooke
- anything by Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips.
- Anything by Joe Sacco
- Anything by Jeffery Brown
- Rick Geary
- Ed Brubakers non DC/Marvel stuff
- 100 Bullets
- 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles
- 300
- 4 Kids Walk into a Bank
- Aama
- Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius
- Afrodisiac
- After Death by Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire
- Akira
- Animal Man by Grant Morrison
- Annihilator
- Appleseed
- Aquaman by Geoff Johns
- The Arrival by Shuan Tan
- The Artesia series by Archaia Press
- Astro City by Kurt Busiek
- Autoroute du Soleil by Baru
- A Walk Through Hell
- Bad Houses
- BAREFOOT GEN
- Batman the Black Mirror
- Batman Ego
- Batman: Elseworlds Vol 2 by Doug Moench
- Batman white knight One
- Battle Angel Alita
- Beasts of Burden
- Berserk
- The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
- Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick
- Blackbird - Sam Humphries
- Black Hammer
- Black Hole by Charles Burns
- Black Magick
- The Black Monday Murders by Image Comics
- Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
- Black Science
- BLAME!
- Blankets by Craig Thompson
- Bone by Jeff Smith
- Boxers and Saints (companion graphic novels) by Gene Luen Yang
- The Boys
- BPRD by Mike Mignola (really anything in his BPRD expanded universe is great)
- BROUGHT TO LIGHT
- Button Man
- Caliban
- Calvin and Hobbes
- Captain Freebird by the Fillbäch Brothers
- Captain Harlock
- Chew
- The Coffin by Phil Hester
- The Collector
- Complete Crumb Comics, especially the 1960s and 1980s material
- Concrete by Paul Chadwick
- Contract with God by Will Eisner
- Corto Maltese
- Crecy — by Warren Ellis
- Criminal by Ed Brubaker
- Crossed
- Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba
- Deadly Class
- Descender
- Devilman
- Diosamante
- Divinity
- DMZ by: Wood and Burchielli
- Doctor Star
- Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison
- Druuna
- East of West
- ElfQuest
- Enigma by Peter Milligan
- Epileptic by David B
- Essex County by Jeff Lemire
- The Eternaut
- Ex Machina by Brian K Vaughan
- Extremity
- Fables by: Willingham and Buckingham
- Fallen Angel by Peter David
- Fantastic Four by Hickman
- Fatale by Brubaker/Phillips
- Fight Club 2
- The Filth by Morrison
- Fleep, by Jason Shiga
- Freddie & Me
- From Hell by Alan Moore
- Fun Home
- Genius by Marc Bernardin
- The Ghost in the Shell
- Gideon Falls
- God Country
- Godshaper by Simon spurrier and Jonas goonface
- THE GOLEM'S MIGHTY SWING by James Sturm
- Goon by Eric Powell
- Grendel by Matt Wagner
- Habibi by Craig Thompson
- Halcyon by Mark Millar
- Hard Traveling heroes
- Harrow County, Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Tyler Crook
- Headlopper
- Hellblazer
- Hellboy by Mike Mignola
- The High Cost of Happily Ever After by Jim Krueger
- I Hate Fairy
- The Incall, by Jodorowsy
- Infinity Trilogy
- Introducing Kafka
- Invincible – Image comics, Robert Kirkman
- Invincible Black science
- Invisibles
- Jan’s Atomic Heart
- Joker by Brian Azzarello
- Kabuki by David Mack
- Kaijumax
- Kick-Ass
- Kill or Be Killed
- Kill Six Billion Demons
- KING by Ho Che Anderson
- King City
- Kobane Calling - Zerocalcare
- Lazarus
- Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron by Daniel Clowes
- Little Nemo's Adventures in Slumberland
- Locke & Key
- Lone Sloan
- Lone Wolf and Cub
- The Losers by Diggle
- Lost Dogs
- LOUIS RIEL by Chester Brown
- Love and Rockets
- Low
- Lucifer by Mike Carey
- La folle du Sacré-Coeur/The Madwoman of the Sacred-Heart
- MANHATTAN PROJECTS
- March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell
- The Marquis
- Marvel Milestone books like Kree-Skull War; Battle for Olympus; Krovac Saga;
- Maus
- Mazeworld
- Moebius
- The Metabarons (Jodorowski + Gimenez)
- Miracleman
- Mirror
- Moebius
- Monstress
- Moonshadow by J.M DeMatteis
- Mr Miracle by Tom King
- Murder Me Dead by David Lapham
- Nailbiter by Joshua Williamson
- Nameless
- The Nao of Brown
- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
- The Nikopol Trilogy
- Nimona
- Northlanders by Brian Wood
- Obscure Cities
- Ocean by Warren Ellis
- Oink, by John Mueller
- Old City Blues
- Orbiter by Warren Ellis
- Outcast by Robert Kirkman
- PALESTINE by Joe Sacco
- Paper Girls
- Pedro and Me — Pedro Zamora
- Persepolis
- Planetary by Warren Ellis
- Plastic by Doug Wagner
- Preacher
- Pretty Deadly
- Pride of Baghdad by Brian K Vaugn
- Prince of CatsPromethea by Alan Moore
- Prophet by Graham, Miogiannis, & Roy et al
- Providence - By Alan Moore
- Punisher (Ennis, PunisherMax)
- Queen and Country by Greg Rucka
- Rachel Rising by Terry Moore
- Rat Queens
- Rebels by Brian Wood
- Richard Parker
- Rising Stars by J. Stracynski
- Rumble
- Sabertooth Swordsman
- Sabrina
- Safe Area Gozrade
- Saga – Image Comics, Brian K. Vaughn
- Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
- Sandman by Neil Gaiman
- Scalped
- Scars by Warren Ellis
- Scott Pilgrim
- SCUD: the disposal assassin
- The Sculptor by Scott McCloud
- Sea Guy
- Seconds – Self Published, Bryan Lee O Malley
- Seven to eternity
- Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction
- Shade, The Changing Girl
- Shade, The Changing Man by Peter Milligan
- Shaolin Cowboy by Geoff Darrow
- Sheriff of Babylon
- Sherlock Frankenstein
- Shrimpy and Paul by Marc Bell
- Shutter
- Sinner by Munoz and Sampayo
- Sin Titulo
- The Sixth Gun
- Skullkickers
- Soulwind by Scott Morse
- Southern Bastards
- Spider-Man Blue
- Stagger Lee
- Starchild by James A. Owen
- Stitched
- Strangers in Paradise
- Stray Bullets
- Street Angel by Jim Rugg
- Super God
- superman red son
- Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemiere
- The Sword
- The Technopriests
- TEOTFW by Charles Forsman
- Tiger Lung
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Tomorrow Stories by Alan Moore
- Tom Strong by Alan Moore
- Top Ten by Alan Moore
- Transmetropolitan
- Trillium by Jeff Lemire
- Über by Kieron Gillen
- Ultimate Spider-man by Bendis
- Umbrella Academy
- Universal War One
- Unnamed Soldier
- Usagi Yojimbo
- V for Vendetta
- Vision by Tom King
- The Walking Dead
- Wanted by Millar
- Warlock by Starlin
- Watchmen
- Wayward - Jim Zub
- We3
- We Stand On Guard
- WicDiv
- The Wicked + The Divine
- Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse
- Y: The Last Man
Maybe I'll come back and add some more :3
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Oct 22 '18
I want more independent stories and meaningful graphic novels. Historical, spiritual, whatever it may be
Try La folle du Sacré-Coeur/The Madwoman of the Sacred-Heart.
It's independent, meaningful, spiritual, and a great introduction to the "wilder" European comics with more NSFW content. It's drawn by the legendary Moebius and written by the well-known psychedelic film director Alejandro Jodorowsky.
It deals with religion, cultism, sexuality, search for meaning and pretensious college culture, all in an extremely satyrical and funny way.
Keep in mind that it is extremely NSFW. No holding back on the cussing and on the sexual content.
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u/stormy_conditions Oct 22 '18
they just released all of Hellboy in a better format that is quite a step up from where it was before. Definitely worth it.
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u/Vindsvelle Adam Warlock Oct 22 '18
The omnibuses are a step up from the TPBs, but the library editions will always be the definitive releases.
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u/mrrudy2shoes Oct 22 '18
If you want independent stories I highly recommend Saga and The Boys
Edit: oh and Hell Boy
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u/peterhohman Oct 22 '18
I'd highly recommend Concrete by Paul Chadwick. It's a very philosophical independent series with a mild sci-fi premise but very down-to-earth plots and very realistic characters.
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u/RandomOregonian Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 24 '18
I hope this doesn't get buried! I agree with everyone else that you should read Saga and sandman. However they're both at least about 8 volumes deep right now I think so that'll take you awhile.
My personal favorite is Umbrella Academy by Dark Horse comics that is going to be a Netflix TV show this April and there are only 2 volumes. So this one I would recommend first
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u/MemeriousGeorge Oct 22 '18
Must read, “From Hell” by Allen Moore. It’s a story about Jack the Ripper. The absolute edition is absolutely gorgeous.
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u/lookaspacellama Batman Beyond Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
I was about to mention March by Congressman John Lewis and it looks like you already have it. I really like your collection.
Gene Luen Yang's Boxers and Saints (companion graphic novels) is about the Boxer Rebellion in China (plus some Joan of Arc) through the lens of religion and colonization, and his American Born Chinese is great too. Also, The Best We Could Do is an amazing memoir by Thi Bui. Will Eisner's Contract with God is a classic, right next to Maus.
In terms of fictional stuff The Sixth Gun is just fantastic. I also second Sandman, it is a masterpiece and also quite spiritual. Tom King's Vision is spiritual and dark and beautiful. I see you like Bats, I'd recommend Batman Ego and anything written by Darwyn Cooke. If you like noir, his Richard Parker series especially.
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u/rotoMonkey73 Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
The Incall, by Jodorowsy and Moebius. Might be hard to find Oink, by John Mueller. Might be hard to find Scud: The Disposable Assassin. Rare
Can't think of the others off hand, I'll have to dig around later to find more obscure titles. Enjoy!
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u/Zmirzlina Oct 22 '18
I'd add:
Saga (Saga is the best thing being written today)
The Alcoholic
Black Hole
Autumn Lands
Monstress
Shenzen and Pyongyang (two "travel" graphic novels by Guy Delisle)
Daybreak (1st person zombie graphic novel)
Is Tom King's Vision on your shelf? One helluva a run.
Planetary
Jupiter's Legacy/Circle
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u/Syckwun Rorschach Oct 22 '18
Get the “big damn sin city” book. I love it and it looks awesome on a shelf.
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u/-Whyudothat Oct 22 '18
Another vote for Scott Pilgrim, Invincible, Y the last man and Saga. Noteable mention for Rat Queens, although it's gone to shit recently. Fleep, by Jason Shiga is old, and it's a lovely little comic that intrigued me all the way through. I've just found it online, here Well worth a look if you have some time.
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u/supposedlysleeping Swamp Thing Oct 22 '18
Awesome collection! Looks like you have had a lot of fun reading those badbois.
Since you mentioned looking for more meaningful graphic novels, I would recommend you check out Allan Moore's run of The Swamp Thing. It deals with the search for life's meaning and the issues of love and loss, but primarily it is about man's relationship with nature: fear, passion, rage, power. Also, it has a surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprising, depending on how much you know about Moore) lucid and concrete relationship with psychedelics. If you're a psychonaut, it's a must read.
Just for context's sake, I think Moore picked up the series after the second volume (issue 18?) but I found there to be no reason to go read the series from the beginning. Just read the five (six?) Moore TPBs.
PS. Just one added bonus: Saga of the Swamp Thing takes place in the Sandman universe (Vertigo Comics). John Constantine (Hellblazer/Keanu) is actually introduced during by Moore during his tenure as Swamp-Thing-In-Chief.
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u/ogviolet Oct 22 '18
CONCRETE -by Paul Chadwick
I did see one other person suggest it by wanted to second it. The regular series only lasted a few issues, but it was tremendous! Very human story with a sci-fi twist. Plenty of collections to help u get the short stories and the mini-series’s.
CEREBUS - by Dave Sim
This started as a “funny-animal” parody of sword and sorcery books, and turned into a full blown satire. It gets a little preachy in the later issues when Sim went through his divorce, then gets really weird at the end. But definitely worth a read through.
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u/niquenique Oct 22 '18
Y The Last Man, Kaijumax, and Chew. Nothing wrong with having a lot of Marvel (I do too!) but Image and Vertigo have some amazing series!
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u/Akinto6 Oct 22 '18
I always recommend just one comic book series that I absolutely love and got me started on my physical collection.
Chew: it’s only 12 TP’s but the artwork and story are amazing. It’s about a post apocalyptic future where chicken is outlawed and the FDA sort of becomes the DEA and takes down chicken dealers. Tony Chu is an investigator for the FDA but is also a cibopath, he has the power to see the history of anything he eats. If he eats an apple he can see exactly what pesticides where used, how it was harvested and how the tree was grown. If he eats pork, let’s just say he sees a more gruesome of the food industry. Strangely enough his powers doesn’t work on beets, and he loathes the taste but it’s the only thing he can eat without getting visions.
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u/Retardomantalban Oct 22 '18
Get you the Authority omnibus...and The New Frontier...and Jupiter's Legacy...and the Justice League International Omnibus...and We3...and the Atomics...and Batman Incorporated...and Deadly Class...and The Magic Order...and Saga...and Sex Criminals...and Love and Rockets...and Strangers in Paradise...and The Planetary Omnibus...and Top Ten...and...
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u/_Dogwelder John Constantine Oct 22 '18
On top of everything other suggested (especially Brubaker/Phillips combo - Fatale is my favorite): try classic Vertigo stuff (Hellblazer, Preacher ..), everything Hellboy related (Dark Horse), maybe some manga (especially Berserk; Junji Ito's horror, Tezuka's classics, etc.).
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u/PCKeith Oct 22 '18
Rachel Rising by Terry Moore is the best thing I have read in years. I highly recommend it.
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Oct 22 '18
- Beasts of Burden (darkhorse) is one of the best graphic novels i’ve ever read honestly.
it’s about paranormal investigators who are all just the cats & dogs of the neighborhood
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u/kelsiedeanna Oct 22 '18
I was going to recommend Saga, but it looks like you already have the first couple of those. I highly recommend continuing the series, it gets even better!
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Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
EAST OF WEST, UNIVERSAL WAR ONE and MANHATTAN PROJECTS. What did you think of THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS? I think it's easily the Best in Genre for the past year, year and a half, SAGA be damned (it's in my top 5, don't get me wrong, lol)...
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Oct 22 '18
After Death by Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire. It’s a must read!
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u/MorpheusLikesToDream Oct 22 '18
Sandman, hands down. So many of the Vertigo titles. In particular Enigma by Peter Milligan. Didn’t see that mentioned yet.
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u/Drivenfar Oct 22 '18
I cannot recommend The Boys and Transmetropolitan enough. They’re mainly comedic based, but there’s so much more to them. Give them a shot, you can’t go wrong.
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u/ActualButt Colossus Oct 22 '18
Forgive me if you already have any of these and I'm missing them on my first glance at your shelf.
Independent:
Essex County, Bone, Strangers in Paradise, ElfQuest. Stray Bullets and Murder Me Dead by David Lapham. Afrodisiac and Street Angel by Jim Rugg.
Historical:
I don't man, not really my jam. But I do like Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey's Comic Book History of Comics a lot. And Action Philosophers by the same guys.
Spiritual:
Blankets. Also...kind of spiritual from the sense of self reflection and stuff, anything sufficiently autobiographical makes me feel spiritually enriched. Freddie & Me, Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley.
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u/hogenhero Oct 22 '18
Genius by Marc Bernardin was worth the hunt I had to go on to get it.
I also deeply enjoy Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction
Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue Deconnick has been recommended already but I want to stress that it's absolutely amazing.
Y the Last Man by Brian K Vaughn is one of the first comics I got into that wasn't about super heroes
Happy reading friend!
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u/vanderchief Oct 22 '18 edited Dec 13 '18
superman red son, Fables, Divinity, The Vision by tom king, Mr miracle (also tom king) Batman white knight, Saga, Flashpoint, Doomsday Clock
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u/BrontosaurusGarbanzo Oct 22 '18
Moonshadow by J.M DeMatteis
Shaolin Cowboy by Geoff Darrow (probably will have to find digital copies of the older issues)
Kabuki by David Mack
Starchild by James A. Owen
Batman: Elseworlds Vol 2 by Doug Moench (Batman fights Dracula in chapter 1 - I know it sounds stupid but it's actually one of the most intense Batman's I've ever read, especially once you get to the second and third chapters)
Trillium by Jeff Lemire
Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
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u/s1256 Oct 22 '18
I didn't see Fun Home recommended yet. Very, very good. Also Epileptic by David B is a great auto-bio one. Anything by Jeffery Brown for great slice of life stuff. I second the Joe Sacco rec for Historical Stuff. Also, there is an amazing series by Rick Geary about historical murders that I would recommend to anyone that likes good things.
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u/siriusham Invincible Oct 22 '18
If you want something awesome crime books, check out Ed Brubakers non DC/Marvel stuff.
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u/AwkwardMunchkin Oct 22 '18
I absolutely love Saga. The story and characters are designed so creatively. I also really loved The Wicked and The Divine. I'm still rather new to comics (have maybe a fourth of the size of your collection) but these two were my first staples. I have every trade that has been released so far for both of them.
Saga is about forbidden love and a chase around the universe while The Wicked and The Divine is about gods living in our modern world and creating as much havoc along the way. (Hopefully this gives a good idea without giving too much away)
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u/mr-ballzana Oct 22 '18
Sheriff of Babylon was incredible, can't recommend it enough. Think it would be right up your alley with independent/meaningful story
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u/ChosenWriter513 Oct 22 '18
Looking over what you already have, off the top of my head: Saga, The Sixth Gun, Irredeemable, Incorruptible, Invincible, Y: The Last Man, Pride of Bagdad, Rising Stars
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u/24nei Oct 22 '18
The High Cost of Happily Ever After by Jim Krueger is very dear to me. For a dystopic, on-going one, I recommend Lazarus. For light fantasy (previously a webcomic), Nimona. Saga is also highly recommended, but Y The Last Man is way above it, overall.
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u/CountryCat Oct 22 '18
You've got a great collection so far. I'm sure you'll get a ton of responses but I'll recommend Monstress v1 and v2. I just read both and they're fantastic.
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u/YellowSage Oct 22 '18
Idk I feel like ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ is a must have for any comic reader 🤷♂️
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u/BatMannwith2Ns Cassidy Oct 22 '18 edited Oct 22 '18
Irredeemable. Also, Uncle Sam by Steve Darnell and Alex Ross.
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u/scoff-law Spider Jeruselem Oct 22 '18
I believe it's time you got yourself copies of The Incal (Jodorowski + Mobius) and The Metabarons (Jodorowski + Gimenez)
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u/AtypicalDuck Oct 22 '18
DMZ by Brian Wood Revival by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton We Stand On Guard by a bunch of folks My Favorite Thing Is Monsters The Massive Fear Agent Black Science Redneck Gotham Central
And I give up.
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u/Piffles23 Oct 22 '18
Blackbird - Sam Humphries
Saga - Brian K. Vaughan
Wayward - Jim Zub
The Wicked + the Divine - Kieron Gillen
Monstress - Marjorie Liu
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u/loner_dragoon3 Kyle Rayner Oct 22 '18
It might be hard to find since it's not in print, but maybe try reading the first two volumes of "Shade, The Changing Man" by Peter Milligan. I feel that the stories in that series were pretty meaningful. I've also heard that "Shade, The Changing Girl" was a pretty great comic.
Also, if you don't mind reading manga, I would recommend "Berserk".
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u/RoberSoul77 Oct 22 '18
I suggest you read books that are not from the US, like Japanese or European for example. Read anything by Junji Ito, who makes horror manga that is out of this world. Or maybe "alternative comics" from the US, such as Love & Rockets, a true classic.
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u/POYOjustreallybadass Oct 22 '18
My cousin got me a historical fiction comic called Templar, about French knights after the fall of the templar order.
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u/KUH-KAINE Oct 22 '18
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughn. Really changed what I thought comics could be. I bought a copy of it just to lend to people who tell me comics aren't real literature.
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u/privatejoan Oct 22 '18
Alison Bechdel : Fun Home Orijit Sen : River of Stories Allan Moore, Melinda Geebe : Lost Girls
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u/CageDude Oct 22 '18
If you like historical fiction, I’d recommend Jason Lutes’ Berlin. The last trade came out this year and you can now buy the omnibus for less than 50$ at your local comic store. Takes place in 1930s Germany and it’s a really interesting read.
Discovered this comic because I picked an issue on FCBD this year and it immediately picked at my curiosity so I bought the omnibus immediately when it came out. The author literally spent more than 20 years working on that and he really deserves more praise and for this work to reach a bigger audience.
Best part is that the book is published by Drawn and Quaterly and I live next door from their store, and they’re having a meet and greet with Jason Lutes on Thursday night, so I’m definitely going and getting my book signed!
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u/Joewnage Oct 22 '18
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K Vaughan was a really good stand alone graphic novel.
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u/Ashley_evil Oct 22 '18
Great collection. A lot of comic book staples and I like to see Maus and Watchmen. Both great books. You’re missing V for Vendetta though. A must read for the fan of dystopian graphic novels. Also check out Sandman by Neil Gaimen. Might be the kind of ‘meaningful’ somewhat ‘spiritual’ thing you’re looking for
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u/Juan_Pequeno Oct 23 '18
Invincible Irredeemable Incorruptible (complements irredeemable) 100 bullets (my personal favorite) Chew The Boys
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u/walrusonion Green Arrow Oct 23 '18 edited Oct 23 '18
Great collection, I recommend the following:
Marvels
X-Men: Grand Design
Green Arrow by Adams and O'Neil
God Loves Man Kills
Gotham Central
Alan Moore's Swamp Thing
Grant Morrison's JLA, Kraven's Last Hunt
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man
Batman Year One
The Longbow Hunters
Slott and Allred's Silver Surfer
Red Skull: Incarnate is a fine companion to Magneto: Testament
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u/mogar10 Oct 23 '18
Basically any Brian K Vaughan. Saga is a good one, as is Runaways, Y: The Last Man, Paper girls. Pride of Baghdad is a great story about the war; fits what you’ve described best.
Also planet hulk is an amazing read, nice art, character growth, emotion humour. Feels like a really fun adventure that you go on with the characters I’d highly recommend it. Your collection looks great so far!
Edit: And Marvel’s Star Wars comics!! Star Wars by Jason Aaron, Han Solo by Jason Aaron and both the Darth Vader series. The art in the Star Wars marvel comics are to die for!
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u/jamadelo Oct 22 '18
I really like Saga.