The beginning of the top 10…
The Top 75 Essential Trades (or Storylines, for those who don’t like trades) According to the Comics Nexus Staff Part 4 (10-6):
10. X-Men: From the Ashes
Gregory: If not for my internship at Marvel, I would not have gotten to enjoy this story. It introduces Madeline Pryor (for all her wasted potential), raising the mystery of her origns from the very start and her sudden appearance in the life of Scott Summers. More than that, you need look no further than this collection to see just why Cyclops is THE undisputed leader of the X-Men. This is the story that made me a Cyclops fan.
Manolis:
9. Daredevil: Born Again
Mark: A real emotional roller-coaster of a book, that brings out the very best (and worst) of Daredevil as a character. Part of Frank Miller’s stellar Dareedevil run, this is probably the seminal Daredevil story, brought to life by David Mazzucchelli’s gritty and dynamic artwork.
Manolis:
Paul S: One of Frank Miller’s defining works of the 80s, “Born Again” is a brutal story that reinvented Daredevil from a perpetual C-lister into one of Marvel’s most popular characters. An often imitated, never duplicated story of a hero who loses everything but still fights back.
8. From Hell
Tim: The graphic novel for conspiracy theorists. With beautifully fitting art-work, this bleak masterpiece tells an impressively-researched story of Jack the Ripper. Of course, calling this a ‘story about Jack the Ripper’ is like calling Hamlet ‘a tale about a son and his uncle. Brilliant.
Logan: Confession time – I saw the film before I read the graphic novel…I wish it had been the other way round. (I didn’t actually mind the film, but that’s a whole ‘nother discussion). Long, complex and gripping, it’s a dynamite page turner with more twists and turns than a…err…twisty, turny thing…? And as an added bonus, in graphic novel form, you don’t have to sit and listen to some truly atrocious “Laaaahndan” accents.
Paul S: One part police procedure, one part conspiracy theory and one half character study of a deeply disturbed man, Alan Moore’s magnum opus is huge winding epic. One of the most acclaimed independent comics in history.
7. Maus
Tim: An impressively three-dimensional take on the holocaust, as well as an underrated portrayal of a son’s difficulty relating to a father. The overwhelming message from this work – life is not fair or unfair : it just is.
Logan: The simplistic artwork belies a story that touches almost every emotional aspect of human (or should that be rodent?) existence. As both a tribute to the strength of the human spirit, and a warning against allowing the crimes of history to happen once again…it simply can’t be topped. I have a copy of this book at home, and as soon as I think my eldest daughter is old enough to fully absorb and understand, I want her to read it. A horrific story told in a moving and, ultimately, uplifting way.
Paul S: The only comic to ever win a Pulitzer Prize Special Award, Art Spiegelman’s autobiographical graphic novel should be handed to every history student in America.
6. When the Wind Blows
Logan: One of my personal faves – if you’ve not shed at least one tear before the end of this book…then you’re a machine. The premise of the story is simple – what do you do to survive a life or death situation when you don’t fully understand what’s happening? A sweet old couple who just want to live out their remaining years in a haze of sweet tea and scones suddenly have to cope with the aftermath of all out nuclear war. I won’t say anything else as you really need to approach this wonderful tale that speaks so tenderly about love and companionship without spoilers.
Paul B: Thank you to whoever it was that reminded me of this book. Simply brilliant. Everyone should read this, whether they’re interested in comics or not. Beautiful. I must have read it 20 or 30 times as a kid, and it still holds up now as a classic piece of art.
Paul S: Much better known in Europe than in the United States Raymond Briggs 1982 looks at the menace of the Nuclear War in a manner that begins humorously and ends in heart break. It was later turned into a 1986 animated film which could be paired with “Grave of the Fireflies” to form most heart-wrenching double-feature of all time.
Images courtesy of Amazon, Mile High Comics, and Fantastic Fiction.
The last part will be up tomorrow.
