While I will include some super hero-esque stories on this list, I am going to share some of the most well written and intelligent works in modern graphic literature! This is in no particular order, just a list of quality works. Fair warning, these are adult books, not for kids.
- Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra blew the lid off of comics as a medium with this series. When I was introduced to it, all I thought was 'a boy and his monkey? really? What this story is really about is a plague that wipes out every Y chromosome on the planet earth with the exception of two people. Yorick Brown must navigate an intensely hostile estrogenically charged landscape to both find his love Beth and the cause of the mysterious plague. There are tons of sociological scenarios that play out in this book from Yorck's insane Amazonian sister to an American pop star taking charge of the Japanese Yakuza. Though the subject is of a very serious sci-fi nature, the book is riddled with sharp humor and enjoyable art. If you ever read another book, read this.
- Transmetropolitain - Warren Ellis and Derrick Robertson's dystopian futuristic love letter to Hunter S. Thompson. This series is not for the faint of heart or conservative sensibility. However, for the rest of us, this book serves as a very articulate look at the possibilities and potential pitfalls of the future and today. Spider Jerusalem is an incredibly irate, insane, and neurotic drug fueled journalist (but ultimately very human at his core) that is brought from mountain isolation into futuristic new York to resume his career as a writer to make good on publisher obligations. Along the way the reader is treated to some of the most hilarious, unsettling, detailed, and ultimately human social commentary. There are moments when this book will take you to the lowest depths and then bring you back up, ultimately triumphant and a better human being. I won't lie, this is a challenging read, but very worth it. Also, you can read a few pages of the 'smiler' character and basically you have almost every politician alive today.
- The Wake - This is a two part series currently in it's second story arch. Sean Murphy effectively walks you through a horror filled deep ocean thriller in the first part. There are tons of very smart references to folklore, mythology, and science fiction. What is so great about this series is it's so grounded in relatively realistic science. This would make for a great Christopher Nolan re-imagining. The second portion takes place two hundred years from now, after a mysterious horror from the deep ocean rises and takes over the coast lines of the world. It will be up to Leeward to help solve the mystery of how to save the planet. Few series are so well written to the point of being completely unpredictable.
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series - While Watchmen and V for vendetta get more attention (and they are great) LXG is one of Allan Moore's most interesting series. Forget the horrible film adaptation, this book is amazing. While it's hard to deny Moore has a slightly pretentious tendency to insist you be an expert on British literature, there is no denying that the characters are well developed and engaging, the art is very interesting, and ultimately you are treated to a rich mythology. Even the slightly convoluted series three (1918, 1969, and 2009) and the black dossier are filled with wonderfully Moore-ish biting character examinations (he hates James Bond for one). This is like the most awesome fan fiction ever made, in a manner of speaking.
- Sandman - This is Neil Gaimen's masterwork. This book is intensely complex, and for the most part you will be treated to some of the most intellectually rich reading and art ever created. This is the story of Morpheus, the master of the dream world. I can't really describe it much further beyond simply saying that he is the most morally complicated characters ever written. The dolls house and seasons of the mist are the books to really look out for. Any further attempt at description of this series would be a disservice to this brilliant series.
- Wanted - This graphic novel is one of those books that sucker punches you and laughs in your face, but ultimately is your best friend, sort of. While the movie is fun, it has practically little to no relation to this book. If the obvious artistic rendition of the main character as Eminem isn't obvious enough, this book shouldn't be taken too seriously. This book begs the question, what if the bad guys won? and why not? Very enjoyable, if not slightly juvenile.
- Ex Machina - Another Bryan K. Vaughan masterpiece. This book has some of the most objective and insightful observations about politics ever put to paper. It's the yin to Transmetroplitain's yang. This is the story of Mayor Mitchell Hundred. Initially a civil engineer who is gravely injured in a freak boat accident, he gains the ability to communicate with complex machines, from an alien source from another dimension. From here he becomes 'the great machine' and makes a generally mixed attempt to fight crime. After he stops the second plain crash on 9/11 (this is an alternate history mind you) in New York city, he decides to run for Mayor of New York City. Hundred finds he is more useful in a position of real power. As the series progresses through a weaving storyline, we see parallels between the many parts of his life and all the challenges he faces in each role. This book is a lot of fun, don't let the 'political' arch turn you off, the things he does as mayor are truly brilliant. As an independent he makes idealistically objective decisions rather than politically motivated ones. Like every story Vaughan does, Hundred is a morally mixed character, but ultimately satisfying.
- Saga - Bryan K Vaughan's newest series. I cannot sing his praises (or that of the artist he works with) enough. This is Vaughan's 'star wars' for perverts (as he puts it, though that's a slightly over exaggerated tagline imo). As this is currently in development I won't say much, just got out and buy it, so far it's his best work.
- Before Watchmen and the original Watchmen - It's unheard of for an attempt to expand upon an already brilliantly crafter universe to be this successful. While there are a few small plot discrepancies in the remake, you couldn't find a better group of artist to expand upon Watchmen. While I am sure Moore probably hates the idea, characters like the comedian and the original minutemen are actually given incredible depth. Watchmen basically represented a major turning point in comics. No longer were comic writer allowed (or required) to be coy about social realism. The characters in this book are sometimes very unlikable, and other times very enjoyable. The Zack Snider movie even actually mostly hit the nail on the head, which is a first. For first time readers I would actually suggest starting with the recent minutemen series and going from there.
- Planetary - Arguably this is Warren Ellis' understated masterpiece. It's much less in your face than Transmet, and is much more intelligent, though the social commentary is replaced, mostly, but very well crafted science fiction. There is no other work of contemporary fiction that handles quantum physics as well as this series. Think X-men meets the X-Files. Enough said.
- Punk Rock Jesus - This one might the be book to most easily offend a reader (save for transmet or preacher), but it's so well stated it's impossible to deny. Basically this book examines a corporate reality show that supposedly clones Jesus Christ, raises him under public scrutiny and psychological torture of a sociopathic producer. What results is a young man who rebels and joins a punk rock band called the flak jackets. This is an extremely well crafter black and white novel. Basically it sounds silly on paper, but ultimately is so well crafted it works.
- Preacher - I won't lie, I have been putting off reading this one for years, but one day I will commit to it. That being said it's a very interesting concept. It's basically a grittier and much more interesting take on John Constantine/Hellblazer (and that is a good series, so that is setting a high bar). This examination of a man's faith being tested (and to a point his is stronger than god's faith in humanity) is a really fascinating character study. Also he has the voice/will of god, so stuff gets interesting.
- DMZ ( aka De-Militarized zone) - This gritty political-war time story tells a fictional tale of a divided contemporary US. I didn't really get far enough to tell you why the conflict got started, but it's there. and maybe that's the point. Like Walking Dead, it's less about the message and more about the human interest side of the story. This story basically says 'regardless of the reasons, here are the consequences.' It's extremely well done, if not a bit hard to digest at times. This one might not be for everyone, but it's captivating nonetheless.
- V For Vendetta - One of Allan Moore's finest. Though Watchmen and LXG are arguably better works, V was where it all started for Moore. Both the movie and book, while different, are extremely engaging.
- Frank miller's sin city and Batman - Frank Miller has been an invaluable asset to graphically illustrated novels. Sin City and The dark knight returns are sort of spiritual cousins. The design and feel of Sin City set a new standard for design in the medium. The gritty storytelling brought back a new-old fashion noir feel that had been missing for years. Also, though Miller was not the artist, Year One is essential, as it redefined the character into what we know of today. There would be no Batman Begins without Year one and TDKR.
- American Vampire - I just started this. It's basically a gritty but realistic (as much as that can be done I guess) take on the vampire genre. Murphy works with different writers on this, so there will be different takes as it moves along. I think of this as true blood, but with better writing and less sap.
