At last, the final five…
(Parts one, two, three, and four.)
The Top 75 Essential Trades (or Storylines, for those who don’t like trades) According to the Comics Nexus Staff Part 5 (5-1):
5. Essential Spider-Man Vol 1
Tim: One of the most creatively inspired runs on a character in history. With the exception of Venom and the Hobgoblin, every single member of Spider-Man’s beloved rogue’s gallery makes their appearance here. Along with the rich supporting cast, it is this run of 20 issues which effectively set the successful path for Spidey over the decades to come.
Paul B: As much as I loathe trades with a passion that can only be imagined by the darkest, most twisted mind, this book is the definitive must-have for any comic book reader. Because the early appearances of Spider-Man are arguably more important than Action Comics #1 in the history of superhero comics. It’s not that Spider-Man started the Marvel Universe and gave DC some real competition to drive the industry forward. He didn’t. Fantastic Four and Hulk both pre-dated Spider-Man as Marvel superheroes. But the thing that separated Amazing Fantasy #15 and Spider-Man’s first few issues from anything else on the market was that suddenly, instead of superheroes who also had secret identities, we were introduced to a person who happened to be a superhero. Peter Parker was the first incidence of a secret identity being developed to the extent that in many ways it over-shadowed the mask. A person with flaws & frailties, loves and losses who wasn’t instantly adored by the public. And who carried around the permanent guilt over the fact that he could have saved his Uncle’s life and didn’t. The public reaction to Spider-Man changed what the industry had to deliver from that point on, and it never looked back.
Paul S: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s first 20 issues of Amazing Spider-Man are collected here and it’s one of the most cracking runs comics history. This run introducing one of the greatest rogues galleries in comics including Electro, Dr. Octopus, The Sandman, The Vulture, Kraven, Chameleon, Scorpion and the Green Goblin. All this plus the supreme goofyness of “The Human Brain” a malfunctioning robot with mallets for hands! Are you reading this Dan Slot? We want this guy in Brand New Day!
4. Sandman Vol 4: Season of Mists
Joel: The pinnacle of fantasy in a graphic medium. Neil Gaiman blends existing mythologies with his own creations effortlessly, in a story that’s both epic in scale and resolutely, defiantly human. This is a story with a wider scope than most comic books have ever dreamed of, and Gaiman writes the best Lucifer since Milton. This is the most transcendent moment in the medium’s history.
Tim: The moment this book really hit its stride. The depiction of the Devil abdicating his post was a curve-ball that sticks with the reader. The examination of the dead returning to earth through the adventures of two school boys is positively haunting. A masterpiece.
Manolis:
Rob: I was a fan of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman before I read Seasons of Mists, but after reading the author’s tale about Lucifer giving up his rule of Hell and selling it off to the highest paying deity, I was completely sold. I don’t think I’ve ever read a piece of fiction that combined more sects of mythology and religion into one story, and on top of that, Gaiman manages to make the entire proceedings fun and enjoyable most of the way through, a particular feat considering most of the story takes place in hell.
Josh: Arguably the entire run of Neil Gaiman’s masterful comic should be on this list, but Seasons of Mist deserves special mention because it has the best elements of a Sandman story: the intelligent play with mythologies; the grand, cosmological sense of story; and the small, perfect character-defining moments set against universe-shaking events.
3. Kingdom Come
Eugene: I’d seen the Wizard that had all of hidden gems of the series before I was able to track down the issues. The story is flawless and the art will rarely be met in the medium.
Paul B: The greatest “Elseworlds/What-If” book ever. Lesser versions of this type of story have crept into direct continuity in the big two (Age of Apocalypse, Red Son etc) but it’s taken until now with Geoff Johns’ work on JSA before DC would trust anyone enough not to urinate all over the legacy of KC by doing the same. That speaks volumes.
Logan: Beautifully painted, intricately plotted and wonderfully written, it’s a testament to the power and originality of this graphic novel that DC storylines reference it even to this day. Tragedy and hope mingle into the same storyboard space in a tale that’s as powerful as it is thought provoking, namely – what does a super hero do when there aren’t any bad guys left to fight? And for the love of God, somebody give the Ox Head guy his own series, will ya?! I loves that dude!
Gregory: Perhaps the greatest epic to ever come out of Elseworlds, Mark Waid and Alex Ross deliver a beautifully rendered, albeit stinging indictment of the grim and gritty 90’s era by pitting Superman and his Justice League against a new generation of amoral antiheroes inspired by the “false idol” Magog. There’s no mistaking Waid and Ross’ stance by story’s end – heroism can never go out of style, and our world will always need a guiding light to show us the Way.
Manolis:
Rob: When it comes down to it, Kingdom Come is probably the reason that I still read comics today. I think like a lot of readers, I read comics when I was really young and then stopped when I got a little older and was trying to put away my childish things, at least for a little while. I was in high school when Kingdom Come burst out onto shelves and suddenly everything that I had loved about comics in general and specifically my love for Superman as a character all flooded back out, and I haven’t stopped reading comics in the decade-plus since then. Immersing myself in it again and again, I even pick up new things each time I decide to read it that I didn‘t before . Subtle nuances in Mark Waid’s storytelling and in Alex Ross’ incredible art make for a new event every time its pages are opened, and I imagine this trend will simply continue as my experiences change. The book is a terrific adventure story for the uninitiated and then for longtime comic fans you can see how deeply its mythology truly goes, building upon decades of DC Comics lore. Most notably, Kingdom Come just gets so much about Superman absolutely right, especially noting from how deep down his humanity guides him over all, and it is this same humanity that keeps his amazing powers in check. I only wish every Superman book published since then could be this good.
Josh: One thing that comics do better than just about any other medium is tell BIG stories, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Kingdom Come. The story, the art, the overall feel of this story is epic and makes for an incredible read.
Paul S: Alex Ross and Mark Waid at the peak of their creative powers put together a moving tale of an aging Justice League dealing with a new generation of violent, ruthless vigilantes and Lex Luthor’s Mankind Liberation Front. It is generally credited with helping American superhero comics step out of the creative malaise they suffered for so much of the 90s.
2. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Eugene: I’ve never been a huge Batman fan, but I was excited to read this book based off what I’ve heard. I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve never read another Batman story that I like near as much (including the sequel).
Tim: A superbly written commentary on obsession, fascism and the idea of heroes. Crammed chock-full of memorable images and quotes, there’s a reason it has spawned so many tributes and knock-offs.
Logan: Featuring possibly the greatest ever dissection of the Batman/Superman relationship, a feminine yet maniacal and genuinely unsettling depiction of the Joker, and a future at once both recognizable and yet fantastic, this was the first “adult” graphic novel I ever read. It remains one of the best.
Paul B: See Watchmen. Again, it’s that simple.
Manolis:
Rob: Its almost sad to go back and read Dark Knight after seeing what Frank Miller has become in the last few years, because every time I pick it up it reminds me of just what a master storyteller is supposed to be in this industry. It’s easy to forget how Miller was able to change Batman with this book. Before The Dark Knight Returns, it was Adam West’s Batman that was the prevailing image of the Caped Crusader, but Miller gave us a version of Gotham’s hero that was aged and a little homicidal. This was a Batman who had debts that needed to be settled with the Joker and Two-Face, and they had to be settled with his fists and not any sort of goofy gadget. Without this book, its possible that both Tim Burton’s and Christopher Nolan’s Batman might never had existed, not to mention Batman: The Animated Series, and that’s a world I don’t want to live in.
Josh: Although a lot of praise needs to go to Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams for beginning the trend of a more mature–less campy–Batman, Miller really was the one who defined who and what Batman is for the past twenty years.
Paul S: Equal parts a grim satire and post apocalyptic thriller, Frank Miller’s took a look at the direction comics were heading in the late 90s, and that direction wasn’t pretty. Alas many of Miller’s contemporaries overlooked the social comentary of TDK and only imitated it’s “grim & gritty.” Today judging by DC’s All-Star Batman & Robin, Miller has sadly become the very thing he once parodied.
Mark: the whole concept a re-imagining of an ageing super-hero was so unique to me at the time, and it still holds its own even now. This is the writer/artist Frank Miller at his very best.
1. Watchmen
Eugene: I’ve only discovered this gem in the last couple of years, but it was well worth the wait. Well developed characters, a strong plot, and great art. I’m just hoping the movie does it justice.
Tim: One of the finest commentaries on a genre of fiction ever written. Also manages to cram in a murder mystery, a commentary on the corruption of power and a biting take on the cynicism of world and United State Politics.
Logan: What can I say that hasn’t been said many, many times already? The super hero genre reinvented and reinvigorated, featuring heroes and heroines that were – whisper this – anything BUT super. With a cast of characters that were by turns flawed, tragic, and, above all, believable…I know people who sneer at comics that have read and enjoyed this book. Sure, you can say that it shows a lack of imagination and/or originality to vote this in at number one, but there’s a very good reason why we’ve done just that. It’s just that damn good.
Paul B: Redefined comic books as we know them. It’s that simple.
Manolis: Like there were ever another possibility for this spot!
Rob: There are few novels that I’ve read in my life, Graphic or not, that match up to the brilliance and emotional resonance of Watchmen. From the first time you read it, you realize that there’s something different going on, that the book isn’t just a silly kid’s story where no one gets hurt, but that its about very real characters that have to face the consequences of their actions. Watchmen stuns you with the depth of its storytelling, and frankly, I just don’t know how some of its sequences, namely the sequence where Dr. Manhattan is on Mars, will possibly be able to be replicated on screen. Yes, its got capes and tights in it, but Watchmen’s true triumph comes from its exploration of humanity after the tights come off.
Josh: Watchmen is pretty much a given for a list like this. This is the trade that illustrates what a truly gifted writer and artist can do with the comic form–and what they can do is flat out amazing.
Paul S: It seems like every top 20 list of trades is required by law to start with either this or the Dark Night returns in the top spot. So what can I say about Watchmen that hasn’t been said before? How about Nicky Craver, you borrowed my Watchmen trade paper back my Sophmore Year of Highschool and never returned it. Now give it back!
Images courtesy of Amazon.
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