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My Favorite Comic Series – Numbers 5-1

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It took us a little while to put our articles together but Faust and I are ready to unveil our Top 5 comic series. If you want to see his list, please visit Double Down Dice. Also, if you want to see my favorite series from 10-6, click here. Without further ado, here is my Top 5!

5. Hellboy

I’ve talked about Hellboy’s greatness before and I own the board game so I’m obviously a big fan.  The Hellboy series is one of the few in comics that takes pulp, fables, mythology, Lovecraft, and the occult and manages to mash them up effectively.  There is also something literary about Hellboy because it’s a bit high brow compared to many comics.  With that said, these are fun adventures where Hellboy gets himself in trouble, says, “Aw crap” and has to get himself out of it.  Mike Mignola does a good amount of the art and writing and he’s talented at both.  There’s no mistaking Mignola’s drawings either because they have a unique and cool style.  Lastly, Hellboy is one of the few series where a single issue story can be really good and satisfying to read so there is a nice mix of variety throughout the entire series.

4. The Fade Out

Another series I’ve talked about before and another from the team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.  For me, this is their best series because it has the perfect noir setting, 1940’s Hollywood.  Everyone knows Hollywood is seedy but this story goes to some dark places you won’t expect.  I think the protagonist duo of a character who is perceived as being a successful writer but who actually has major writer’s block and is completely reliant on his drunk and self-destructive friend for all of his ideas is perfect for noir as well.  It’s also nice how the two “heroes” are not fighters or skilled with a firearm so what they try to achieve is that much more jaw dropping.  Since this is a pretty short series, this gets a strong recommendation for anyone who likes noir and crime stories.  The Fade Out will haunt you for a long time to come.

3. Powers

For all the crime books on this list, there is only one that is from the perspective of detectives in a world with superheroes (though this idea is explored in other places like Gotham Central, to be fair).  Powers shares some similarities to Watchmen, though I would also say it is somewhat similar to watching Behind the Music, if anybody remembers that old show on VH1.  Detectives Walker and Pilgrim investigate superhero crimes which inevitably lead to a lot of dirty laundry between superheroes.  A lot of the volumes are like a police procedural where the plot is one and done but little things happen that do carry over to future stories which is a nice way to reward loyal readers. While Powers is wordy, like all of Brian Michael Bendis’s writing, the dialogue is frequently entertaining and so realistic that I don’t mind that at all.  Michael Avon Oeming’s art is pretty unique and took a while to grow on me.  There aren’t many books on this list that fall into the cartooning side of drawing but Oeming really shines at that kind of art.

2. Y: The Last Man

Longtime readers of this site won’t be surprised to see that Y: The Last Man ranks as my second favorite series.  While the story will probably resonate more with someone who can remember September 11 and what the world was like when Y: The Last Man was coming out, the series explores the central question of what would life be like if all the men (including animals) died.  Not unlike the X-Men, Y: The Last Man is a nice blend of Science Fiction and soap opera drama.  The art consistently improves as the series goes on and issue by issue, you connect and relate to the characters more and more.  I won’t say anything about the ending other than that it is one of the best and most emotional ones you’ll ever read. There’s a reason Bryan K. Vaughan has a strong reputation in comics and this book helped put him on the map.

1. Scalped

This was a tough choice and honestly, any of the top five books could be number one because they’re all strong in their own ways.  Ultimately, I think Scalped is a masterpiece that is so well-written, it had to be number one.  Scalped is as dark and gritty as it gets and I give the writer, Jason Aaron, a lot of credit for coming up with a fresh idea.  It is set in an area of the American West that is governed by Native Americans and poverty, crime, and drug use are all common.  For those who don’t know, the Native Americans have been mistreated many times throughout the history of the United States and even to this day, many experience a lot of difficulties.  Many years ago, the US government forced Native Americans to live on reservations which functioned like open air prisons.  Even after many years have passed and they are no longer forced to live there, many Native Americans still live on reservations where poverty is rampant.

As a result, in the world of Scalped, everybody is flawed and it is not a nice world.  At the same time, Jason Aaron masterfully weaves a narrative where you see things through many characters’ eyes and even the ones you swear are horrible people initially, start to have some redeeming qualities.  Either that, or you can start to see why they think and act like they do.  It is rare for any form of media to do this and so if you don’t mind reading about very flawed people who have to make difficult decisions, then Scalped is well worth reading.  Jason Aaron has written a lot of successful comic books since Scalped but for me, nothing equals what he accomplished here.  The art is not my favorite among the books on this list but it does fit the setting of Scalped perfectly and not unlike Y: The Last Man, it grew on me issue by issue to where now, I can’t imagine it being any other way. 

So there is my list of my favorite series of all time. Funnily enough, I used to own physical copies of almost everything on this list at one time so I guess that goes to show you how much I enjoyed these. I hope you enjoyed reading through these and if you find any on here that you try out, you’ll have to let me know what you think!

27 thoughts on “My Favorite Comic Series – Numbers 5-1”

  1. Pingback: Comics – Top 10 Favorite Comic Runs pt. 2 – Double Down Dice

  2. That’s a great list, Jeff! And I will fully admit to everyone the delay was more on my part than yours! 😉
    Hellboy is amazing in so many ways. The amount of research on mythology that Mignola does behind the scenes is pretty insane. Ditto with his art. It looks simple, but it’s more complicated than that. Artists who are ‘more detailed’, throw lots of lines on the page. But if you’re using fewer lines, one mistake will stand out like a sore thumb. And I think you nailed it when you mentioned how it is enjoyable on many levels. It can be a fun cartoony action romp, but also can be something deeper and more meaningful if you think about it more. I feel like there is a lot of things going on that are unsaid on the page at times.
    Fade Out is great. But really, anything by Brubaker and Phillips has been pretty much gold to me.
    I haven’t read Powers fully (yet). Someday I plan on giving it another try, because it shows up on a lot of people’s lists.
    I was torn between Walking Dead and Y the Last Man for my choices. Y is good, but hits hardest at the end. Walking Dead carried the emotion/momentum for longer throughout the series. If that makes any sense. Both great though!
    I tried Scalped, but didn’t really get into it. I might have to give that one another shot.
    Thanks again for the idea and the crossover blog posts! This was a pretty fun thing to do! 😀

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    1. Haha, I couldn’t throw you under the bus like that!

      Hellboy might be the oldest comic series that I really enjoy the art in. It isn’t as old as Watchmen (which is one of the oldest comics I’ve read) but I like Mike Mignola’s artwork better.

      I think Powers might be the series that makes you like Mr. Bendis but we’ll see on that… 🙂

      The Walking Dead and Y: The Last Man are kind of opposites in that regard. Y: The Last Man has an exceptional ending and TWD has an exceptional start that weakens over time. I prefer a strong ending to a stronger opening though I’ll gladly have both when I can get them 🙂

      Interestingly, the original Scalped paperbacks had cheaper, “old-fashioned” paper that I think you would like. It kind of made the whole series seem even more gritty on top of the story and characters. I really need to reread Scalped as its been quite a long time since I got rid of my collection. I think some people would find it to be too dark and depressing but I think the writing is some of the best I’ve seen in comic book form. Jason Aaron hasn’t really been able to match it though he does a lot less creator owned titles than some of his peers too.

      You’re very welcome and I had fun with it too. We may have to turn our websites into Buzzfeed and do more top lists in the future 😉

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      1. I’m not sure if I would recommend anything older than Watchmen to you. The stories are not as appealing to modern readers, so usually people collect those out of nostalgia, historical interest, or for the art itself. There are some incredible artists from earlier time periods that just blow me away, especially when they operated under such huge time constraints. I guess you might like some of the older Conan stuff, just because you like Conan. But otherwise I would say maybe Batman Dark Knight Returns, because it does have a bit of politics in there. You might enjoy some of Eisner’s non-superhero stuff too.
        I don’t think anything will make me like Bendis as a person! 😉 I’ve found some of his work entertaining at times. I wouldn’t be surprised if I read something of his someday that I like, and as I check more of his work, I guess I’ll find out.
        Excellent comparison of Y and Walking Dead!
        Hmm, I read Scalped digitally. Now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t get some trades instead. How far into it would you say till it gets ‘good’?
        Okay, my website is now going to be renamed to Brian’s Buzzfeed! Haha!

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      2. I will say that our friendship has made me appreciate older comics more than ever before. It may never be something I dive into very deeply but I can better appreciate how important writers and artists were.

        I can see that there will be an event/crossover book coming soon called The War of Brians and I know who will be squaring off in it! 😀

        I liked Scalped pretty much from beginning. On Goodreads, I gave every single volume 5 out of 5 stars except for the final volume. It is definitely not a series where you have to read a few volumes before it gets good. If you didn’t like the first volume or two, then it might not be your thing.

        Brian’s Buzzfeed needs to have an article along the lines of “50 paint brands/products that you must own”. If it doesn’t, then I’ll be disappointed haha!

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      3. It’s good to hear that I had some influence regarding the benefits of older comics. I’m sure most people would just dismiss it! Reminds me I saw a short YouTube vid of someone talking about John Buscema, and they were not a good speaker nor did they even have much info. Though at least they didn’t get anything wrong. Stuff like that makes me think about starting my own channel though. But that’s a lot of work. Who knows, maybe someday.

        Hey, he’s giving other Brian’s in my town a bad name! We have to stand up, lol! Honestly, even Bendis knows he rubs people the wrong way. I read some of the stuff in the back of Scarlet and he mentions it. He reminds me of that sleazy coworker who rose through the ranks by being lazy and taking credit for other people’s work. I could be totally wrong, but so much of his stuff has been a hack of movies or comics. That’s not uncommon in the biz, but most people are more humble about it and willing to give credit where credit is due.

        I don’t think I got far at all with Scalped. The good news is that I don’t remember hating it. It could be I moved onto something else at the time and didn’t get back to it. So it’s one I should check out again. I’ve heard other people mention it as well.

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      4. I think your passion for comics history, if you want to call it that, definitely shines through. Have you watched Strange Brain Parts or Comic Tropes on Youtube? Maybe I’ve mentioned one or both of them but they are good channels and I think both of the creators are around your age. Strange Brain Parts does a lot on Ditko, for example.

        I don’t like it when my friends fight haha! In all seriousness, I never thought Bendis had ruffled feathers but I don’t follow what goes on outside of the comic books too much. In the one or two interviews I’ve seen, Bendis is very humble so I don’t know which Brian’s side to take here 🙂

        I remember Scalped getting better and more interesting after the first volume. The first volume is a bit more by the numbers because it introduces characters and the setting. After that, the layers of complexity ramp up and you get more than one character’s perspective too. Us talking about Scalped had me pondering whether I should get a physical copy again of it again. Unfortunately, the hardcovers seem expensive and out of print so now is not a good time for that. I’d imagine they’ll get reprinted one of these days though.

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      5. I haven’t watched Strange Brain Parts, and I love Ditko’s work, so I will check that out.

        I see some tpbs available of Scalped, so I might get one to check out. There is also a 700+ page omnibus in Nov, but that’s too clunky for me.

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      6. He does a number of videos on Ditko and they seem to be well-researched so hopefully you like them!

        That is too large for me too. I’d buy it knowing that I love Scalped but I think you should read the first two or three trades and see how you feel. No need to commit to it all since it didn’t grab you the first time!

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  3. An interesting read, getting another glimpse into what you enjoy reading. Lately I have been having a more whimsical taste that dark and gritty but I can see how each of these could appeal to me… especially regular cops dealing with superhero issues.

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    1. Hmm, not sure what I would recommend that is “whimsical”. Sometimes the art can be whimsical, but the story might be much darker. Maybe Jeff has an idea?

      Maybe Astro City? It revolves mainly around the city itself and is about what it’s like to live in city with Golden/Silver age superheroes. The interesting twist to the book is the perspective of the stories. The focus shifts from hero to hero in different story arcs, and the story is often woven by other heroes, villains, or even regular people.

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      1. Hmm…Astro City released in 1995, Image Comics. Told from a unique perspective. Powers released in 2000, Image Comics. Told from a unique perspective. Coincidence, Brian Michael Bendis?! ;P

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      2. I’m going to recommend something that I haven’t read (which is a bit dangerous). Twig by Skottie Young. He is the artist behind the Wizard of Oz books I read and reviewed a while back. I’ve heard Twig draw comparisons between The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth which I’m pretty sure Rick (GrumpyGnome) likes. I would think that would provide plenty of whimsy, though I might be wrong because I’m too young to have seen Dark Crystal and/or Labyrinth but that would be my dark horse pick.

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    2. I don’t know if Powers is a realistic take on police work (they’re detectives too which is pretty different than a beat cop’s job, I would guess). I’d recommend the TV show but the acting looks atrocious in it. It was made for Playstation TV, which I guess says it all because that didn’t last very long. Gotham Central might be a better bet as I suspect the writer did even more research into what cops would do in a superhero world. Its also a shorter series so not a big time or money commitment.

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      1. Very little is ever a realistic take on police work unless written by a cop with current experience. I am sure being a cop now is quite different to when I was.

        I appreciate the suggestions…. although I must admit there never seems enough time!

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      2. Both are strong points and hard to argue with. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve given up on TV and movies to some degree for that reason. I can’t keep up with it all and you have to pick some things to focus on or you’ll be stretched too thin!

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  5. my top 5 from a bygone era. But I still have them (somewhere around here). 
    The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

    kabuki by David Mack

    The Crow by J.O. Barr

    The Sandman by Noel Gaimen

    X-men Fatal Attractions by various I think.

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    1. An excellent list! The Dark Knight Returns is still lauded. Maybe I’ve said this before (but hopefully not), I read a bit of Kabuki and liked it. I met David Mack at the Cincinnati Comic Con many years ago now and he was really nice. He encouraged me to pursue art (I was drawing at the time) which I appreciate to this day. If I have the money and get the chance, I’d love to have him do a commission piece because his art is amazing. Thanks for sharing your list, Stew! 🙂

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    1. Well that’s fantastic, mate! I’m glad to hear it and I hope you can read the rest of itin the coming days. It only gets better and better as it goes on and the ending is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

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