Some really emerge among others.
Some get old, some will never.
What are the most memorable comic books / bandes dessinées / mangas / graphical novels you’ve read?
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Looking for a beautiful story on life and death, with emotion and a brilliant story telling?
Check this amazing comic book:
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Oooh! Will have to check this out. Sounds like it would pair well with Death: The High Cost of Living
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Thanks a lot, will check this as well…
Talking about Gaiman:
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With Kevin O’Neill passing away last month I’ve been on a real Nemesis the Warlock binge. His artwork in that series was incredible and really had a massive impact on my teenage mind.
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To answer the OP, I’ll put a few:
–Berserk by Kentaro Miura. A lone swordsman navigates a world overrun by demons and corrupt monarchies. Dark fantasy/horror of the highest caliber, and the Golden Age arc in particular is one of my favorite pieces of fantasy fiction ever. Miura has a rich and richly detailed visual style, plus the ability to transform even edgelord-y tropes into compelling characters and moments. (Dark Souls/Elden Ring fans will easily spot this comic’s influence on those games)
Disclaimers: I am only halfway through the series, which was left unfinished by the author’s untimely death and will be finished posthumously by the artist’s childhood friend. Also, I would advise looking up content warnings online if you need them. There are many
–Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Funny and sad, introspective and cheeky, this is a comics memoir about growing up as a young lesbian with an abusive father. Aside from being a great story well told, it’s a masterclass of pacing and framing
–Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. A daily strip about an imaginative but mischievous 6-year-old and his stuffed tiger. Super funny, but also gets at the heart of childhood melancholy the way good Peanuts does. Absolutely formative for me, and while I don’t know about the rest of the world, this is a classic to Gen-X and Millennial Americans
–The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and Co. I only put this last because it needs no introduction, especially after the Netflix adaptation. But so important to me that I can’t not mention it
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Didn’t know he’d passed. Was always a favourite.
I’d give my Marshall Law a reread but think they’re all at my brothers.
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Cannot overstate how great The Sandman is. Not only of comics but literature in general.
The best things I’ve read that are somewhat contemporary:
Tom Kings and Mitch Gerads Mister Miracle is a masterpiece.
Simon Spurrier’s recent John Constantine run was excellent, esp for Brits, but tragically cancelled
Tom Taylor’s current Nightwing run has been great
Marjorie Lu’s Monstress is very good if you like pure politics, and the artwork by Sana Takeda is dazzling
Ive read a number of series written by James Tynion and have enjoyed them all. I’ve enjoyed A Nice House On the Lake the most, I think. For Sandman fans, hes also currently writing a Corinthian series that’s been good.
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Druillet, Moebius, Caza, Manara, etc.
Otomo!
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I really like Tintin! It‘s that c l e a n drawing style that does it for me.
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Carbon & Silicium from Mathieu Bablet is the story of two AIs that get a body. While they discover what it means to be incarnated, they witness the humanity trying to escape it, and the world falling apart.
Despite this, the whole comic book leaves a tender emotion, it is IMO a masterpiece of modern science-fiction.
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I hadn’t heard Kevin O’Neill passed. That’s a real bummer…
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The Love and Rockets series by the Hernandez Brothers.
Epileptic by David B
Everything by Mobius.
At a too tender age I found my father’s collection of Zap comics in a desk drawer and my brain was never the same afterwards.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller was a huge part of my early years. My Dad had a copy, and after my parents separated and he moved to California, it was something I really glommed onto. I would look forward to flipping through it, and it just kind of attached itself to the entire experience of being there with my father again, another summer break to spend with him. Years later I actually read it cover to cover and realized how great it was. Still have a dog eared copy I pull out and read again from time to time.
Tintin was a massive part of my early years as well…
The Dungeon series by Lewis Trondheim and Joan Sfar.
Too many to name really.
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Growing up in the 80’s and a teen in the 90’s was a special time for me. It was during the prospect era. But the lead up to that had some of the most mythos breaking stories.
I loved the Transformers comics as a kid. It was vastly different than the show, and had some very impactful stories of sacrifice. Namely Optimus blowing himself up, and an issue about Blaster in a pit that melted transformers, and a small spy fell in.
A Death in the Family put real stakes on Batman.
But it then shifted to the 9o’s, with Spiderman 2099, and Madman. Death of Superman. And Mark Waids run on the Flash.
I know they are all mainstream, but they had such an effect on me.
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As many of you know, I sell comics for living.
Lately I’ve started bringing work home just to be aware of all the different titles we stock. Have been reading a lot of Superman and DC Comics in general lately. In my opinion he’s the most boring ass super hero there is because he’s basically omnipotent but these new writers have really been able to squeeze some juicy stories out of the man of steel. Still not a huge fan but when done right, it’s enjoyable.
There’s so much great stuff in my shop’s basement and we’ve only scratched the surface this far. Comics about bands like Wu Tang Clan and the Cure. Comics about video games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. Comics about movie heroes like Snake Plissken etc. And a shitload of Judge Dredd and other 2000AD related stuff. If people ask me if I prefer Marvel or DC, I usually say that I prefer neither of those but rather 2000AD. That was the stuff I grew up on.
If push came to shove my all time favourite artist/writer would have to be Charles Burns. His linework and shading are to die for. But I also enjoy great european artists like Hugo Pratt, Marc Antoine Mathieu, Enki Bilal and such. Tintin, Lucky Luke and Asterix have followed me from my childhood home. My mom loves Tintin, so do I.
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Akira changed my whole life. i had not seen anything so detailed and so well drawn with a solid story.
other extremely well drawn series:
Lone Wolf & Cub (Kazuo Koike)
Vagabond (Takehiko Inoue)
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Absolute same. I didn’t get to the Manga until 2008, but the anime left me stricken.
I got it for a Christmas present in the 90’s. It was before anime was mainstream, and you had to go to certain comic shops to buy bootlegs. This was right before dvds.
It was soooo long, but when it was over, I just sat there in shock.
When I read the manga, it was great to relive that story, and my youth, during such a dark time in my life.
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Blake & Mortimer
XIII
Tintin
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My very favorite comic books were those written by Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton and Dave Sheridan
I grew up reading and absolutely loving the adventures of “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers”
Enjoy #0 (check below). If you want more, I’ve got them all, just ask, you will be rewarded 
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Modern X-men is my JAM. Also Daredevil is in a pretty awesome, ninja-centric place right now.
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