Matt here.
There are plenty of mainstream comics out nowadays that people love reading. I myself have been loving DC Comics' New 52 runs on Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Justice League, and Suicide Squad; DC's Rebirth runs of Superman, Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps, Detective Comics, Batwoman, All-Star Batman, and Green Lanterns; Marvel's X-Men Gold; as well as Bendis's run on Marvel's Daredevil. I've also been digging into classics like Mike Grell's 1980s run on Green Arrow and Alan Moore's 1980s run on Saga of the Swamp Thing (both SO worth reading! I didn't even care for Swamp Thing in the past nor do I like that kind of comic, but Moore's writing is nothing short of reading a great novel!). However, there are books out there now that don't delve into the mainstream. Lesser known titles which don't always rely on superheroes. I think one can almost argue that the medium of comics is slowly surpassing film in terms of story quality and originality.
By now, most people know about books such as Alan Moore's essential Watchmen or V For Vendetta, but here are six 21st century comics that I've recently become obsessed with that you must read -- regardless of whether you're into comics or not! (WARNING: All of these titles have either brief nudity, sexual situations, cussing and/or graphic violence, and they are NOT for kids!)
Rick Remender & Wes Craig
(2014-present)
With a touch of Mark Millar’s Wanted ringing in the background, Rick Remender’s Deadly Class takes us back to 1987 and introduces us to homeless, Nicaraguan, 14-year-old outcast loner Marcus Lopez, who is recruited to attend Kings Dominion School for the Deadly Arts, an academic school which teaches assassination (think Hogwarts but with killing). At first, Lopez rejects the offer, but his loneliness wins out – as well as his thirst for revenge – and he soon finds himself wandering the halls where classmates would rather kill you than look at you, and you attend classes like “Dismemberment 101.” While there, he makes a small group of friends, comprised of the different cliques, and is given an assignment he doesn’t think he’s ready for or able to do: kill a person who has done a wrong so heinous, he/she deserves death. The book is full of cussing and violence, but it is also a brilliant metaphor for high school. I found a definite connection to Lopez, who Remender modeled a bit after himself, as he says things I felt when I was moving from school to school and is described as “the outcast’s outcast.” This Image Comics release has plenty of 1980s references in both music and films, and each issue leaves the reader wanting more, practically on a cliffhanger! This is one of the best recent releases around and I can’t recommend it enough.
Writer Nick Spencer and artist Steve Lieber (The Superior Foes of Spider-Man) team up once more to tell this comedic, off-kilter tale of crooked cops Roy and Mac, who have to navigate a world full of mobsters and corrupt politicians to make a decent buck. This comic is definitely for adults as there's plenty of foul language and twisted adult humor to go around! But what sold me on this comic was when I read at the end of the description that the one force for good that can stop Roy and Mac is a drug-sniffing beagle named Pretzels! Just take my money now!
The Fix
Nick Spencer & Steve Lieber
(2016-present)
Leaving Megalopolis/Surviving Megalopolis
Gail Simone & Jim Calafiore
(2014-present)
The former team behind DC Comics’ villain title Secret Six are back, but under Dark Horse Books, they aren’t constrained by taking out bad language and gory violence. Leaving Megalopolis is Gail Simone – the writer of Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, and Batgirl – fully unrestrained! In this title, superheroes in the city of Megalopolis have turned evil after battling a strange alien creature. Now, it’s up to a rag-tag group of regular civilians to get out of the city and hopefully survive the murderous former heroes. Unlike J. Michael Straczynski’s Supreme Power (another great title), in which he models his superheroes after DC’s Justice League of America members, Simone made sure her superheroes didn’t resemble other famous DC or Marvel characters, which is a great thing, lending credence to the story. And whether then be all about the heroes or villains, this comic is about the regular, everyday people – the citizens of the city. There is plenty of violence and bad language in this title for anyone who likes their comics dark. But the story is compelling, the characters believable and well-written, and Jim Calafiore’s art is exquisite. If you like The Walking Dead, then you’ll most likely love this!
Midnight Nation
J. Michael Straczynski & Gary Frank
(2000-2002)
J. Michael Straczynski is mostly known for his 1993 TV
series, Babylon 5. He has also worked on major comic book titles such as
Superman, The Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Thor, and Wonder Woman. But
it is this 2000 independent story (published by Top Cow Productions) that put
him on my radar! L.A. police Lt. David Grey is attacked by some creepy
creatures and when he wakes up in the hospital, he finds no one can see him as
his soul is in a limbo state. As he walks cross country in search for his soul,
he encounters others like him and “walkers” (no, not zombies!), who are lost
souls. Along his journey, he is helped by Laurel, a mysterious guide who may or
may not be telling the truth to him about how to get his soul back. The story
is ultimately about hope, faith, loyalty and sacrifice, and the art by Gary
Frank (one of my favorite artists) is both realistic and otherworldly. The
story is a definite philosophical examination of life and our relation to one
another, but it is neither too preachy nor pretentious. I could easily see this
being a movie, and am a bit surprised it hasn’t been adapted yet. Either way,
if you see this TPB on any comic book/book store shelves, grab it!!! (NOTE: Don't let the "Vol. 1" fool you! There are no other volumes, this is the complete series.)
From the back description: "Buckaroo, Oregon has given birth to sixteen of the most vile serial killers in the world. Why is this particular town breeding serial killers? NSA Agent Nicholas Finch needs to solve that mystery in order to save his FBI agent friend, and he'll have to team up with the infamous Edward "Nailbiter" Warren to do it. Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson deliver a mystery that mixes Twin Peaks with the horror of Se7en!" A comic about serial killers?!?!? Count me in! There are Nailbiter has plenty of plot twists and edge-of-your-seat, can't-wait-to-turn-the-page situations that will keep you coming back to this Image Comics title again and again!
Nailbiter
Joshua Williamson & Mike Henderson
(2014-present)
Paper Girls
Brian K. Vaughan & Cliff Chiang
(2015-present)
Brian K. Vaughan has made a name for himself in comics, writing for some of the most popular superhero comics as well as creating his own legendary titles (including one of my all-time favorites and another on this list, Y: The Last Man). He's also known to fans of the hit ABC TV series, Lost. Just last year, he teamed up with artist Cliff Chiang to work on Paper Girls, which could be best described as a mix between the films Stand by Me, War of the Worlds, and Night of the Comet, but with so much more to it. In the story, it's early the next morning after Halloween, 1988, when four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls stumble across a mysterious disappearance of nearly everyone in their town and an unexplainable alien invasion. But that's not all! The first trade finishes with one hell of a cliffhanger!
Mark Millar & Greg Capullo
(2016-present)
Mark
Millar has some pretty good hits lately. Sure, you might not recognize
his name, but if you’ve seen the movies for Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, Wanted, Kingsman: The Secret Service, or Captain America: Civil
War, then you’ve seen his comic book writing come to life on screen.
And if you’re a comic book fan and/or a Batman fan, then you should
know artist extraordinaire Greg Capullo, who not too long ago finished
an epic run with writer Scott Snyder for Batman under the New 52
banner! When I heard these two were teaming up for a new title, to say I
got excited would be a gross understatement. However, when I found out
the premise of half the book taking place in a realm full of
fantasy-like creatures (i.e., dragons, trolls, etc.), I was a bit
put-off as fantasy comics aren’t exactly my thing. But I’ve been a
long-time fan of Capullo’s art as well as Millar’s stories, so I figured
I’d give their team effort, Reborn, a shot. Even though only one
issue has been released, to put it plainly, Reborn is Millar’s
masterpiece compared to everything he’s previously released. Millar has
seemed to tread into the more serious, human world with real emotions –
even though the violence and fantasy are still there. But this book has
more serious human emotion in one page than his previous stories have
had in an entire run! I was a little worried Capullo’s art would only
remind me of the world of Batman and his rogues gallery – a curse which I
feel has certainly followed John Romita Jr. (I look at his art and can
only see the world of Spider-Man or Daredevil). However, Capullo’s art
is so damn good, and he does some really creative stuff with the story
imagery. I loved the concept of the story: when you die, you don’t go to
Heaven or Hell, but to another world called Adystria, where you meet up
again with people you’ve known who’ve died – both good and bad. While
the otherworld stuff is great, what got my attention the most were the
human moments of protagonist Bonnie’s last days on Earth. The story ends
with just enough tease to have you craving more – which is tortuous
considering Reborn is a monthly-released title! Even if you’re not
into comics all that much, if you like sci-fi and/or fantasy, pick up
the #1 issue before it leaves stores! This book is SO GOOD I can't
recommend it enough!
I
don’t know too much behind the creative team behind Image Comics’
latest release, Romulus. Any fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is sure
to find some similarities to this title: a chosen one from a long line
of females who is raised to fight and survive. Except, with this title,
the protagonist, Ashlar, is trained from birth to be a weapon
for the ancient Order of Romulus, an organization that breeds women to
be killers. There have only been two issues released so far, but it’s
off to a promising start. The first issue ends with just enough
intrigue, it keeps the reader so curious, he can’t help but buy the
second issue just to see where it all goes. The best thing about the
first issue is that there are so many directions with which the story
could go – an exciting aspect for any writer and any comic book fan who
hates predictability. The villain of the story is centralized into a
single idea of soldier, particularly a group of men only known as
Hunters. They look somewhat similar to the Owl soldiers (think of the
villain, Talon) in Batman’s Court of Owls storyline, but it’s still
too early to tell whether they will play a major role in this story. For
anyone either jonesing for more Buffy or looking for something
different than what the two major titans of DC and Marvel are offering,
then Romulus is worth a look!
Romulus
Bryan Hill & Nelson Blake II
(2016-present)
Jason Aaron & Jason LaTour
(2014-present)
Another find Image Comics release! Jason Aaron’s Southern Bastards definitely sounds like the overall premise to the 1973 film (and its 2004 remake) Walking Tall, based on the true story life of Sheriff Buford Pusser. But this story has so much better writing and Jason LaTour’s art brings the filthy, trashy feel of the characters to life -- just another perk of the writer and artist both being from Alabama. In Aaron’s Bastards, protagonist Earl Tubb returns to his hometown of Craw, Alabama, after 40 years away. Upon his arrival, he finds the local high school football coach Euless Boss has taken control of Craw, becoming somewhat of a crime boss. Boss’s corruption spreads everywhere and Tubb eventually takes notice and anger of it. So he decides to do something about it. He grabs a baseball bat-like stick – made from a tree rising from his father’s grave – and decides to mete out justice. This southern pulp revenge is done right, making the reader feel every punch to the gut, and cheering for our old, Vietnam veteran protagonist as he uses unconventional methods to clean up the streets, taking off from where his sheriff father left off. If you’re looking for small-town heroics, look no further!
Y: The Last Man
Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra
(2002-2008)
Probably the most popular of the bunch listed here, Brian K.
Vaughan (who would later go on to write episodes of ABC’s Lost, in which an issue of Y was featured) created one of
the best stories ever written – especially for comics – in 2002 when he
introduced the world of Yorick Brown and his being the last man on Earth. Long
before the FOX TV series The Last Man on Earth, Vaughan introduced man-child
Yorick Brown (yes, named after the William Shakespeare character), an aspiring escape artist who doesn’t have much direction in
life. All he has is his girlfriend, Beth, who is currently in the Australian
outback doing anthropological work, and a Capuchin monkey named Ampersand,
which he got from an organization which trains monkeys to help people with
disabilities. Suddenly, on July 17, 2002, all living mammals that have a Y
chromosome (males) simultaneously die (this also includes embryos, fertilized
eggs and sperm). All males except Yorick and Ampersand. There are many horrific
accidents and society soon plunges into chaos as women think that, without men,
the human race is doomed to extinction. What starts off as a tongue-in-cheek
title soon takes a very serious angle. Yorick learns that being the only male
human left is not all it’s cracked up to be and he learns he has to disguise himself
as he sets off to find his mother, former U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture-and-now-President of the United States, Jennifer Brown; and his
girlfriend, Beth, who he believes to be stranded in Australia. This book has
plenty of laughs as well as plenty of action and drama. Published by DC Comics’
Vertigo label, Y: The Last Man is set in the real world and Pia Guerra’s art while not
the most realistic, still brings a tone of practicality. This is probably my
favorite non-superhero comic of all time! I love the stories, the characters,
the mythology, everything! If there were one comic series I had to recommend to
people, this would be it.
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