Completely Self-absorbed Top 100 Comic Runs You Need to Read

[Colin YNWA]

Copperhead's lack of conclusion is frustrating and quite often a thing at Image. Probably in comics in general, TBH. It's not like 2000 AD lacks strips that just stop. (Hello, Brass Sun!)

This will crop up again and soon. I then scanned through the rest of the list and realised it only really happens once after that (and its not Image), well not counting things that simply haven't reached a conclusion yet by design.

I do wonder if a number of other comics would be on the list if they had continued. So Autumnlands, Mudman, Invisible Republic... just as a few examples that immediately spring to mind, there will be others. Have to respect the fact that if something isn't earning creators a living, or satisfying them creatively then they can't be continued. A little more transpirancy would be good, but I guess often folks fully intend to get back to things but things drift and get forgotten. It does put you off taking risks on title however which becomes a negative feedback cycle!

Loved Nexus Omnibus 1 when I chanced upon it in a clearance section of Manchester FB...gods, 10 years ago? I really must get back to read the rest, another good shout!

I knew you'd read some Zac, must admit thought it was more. Glad you enjoyed the first Omnibus, there is a lot of good stuff in the later volumes as well.

[Colin YNWA]

Number 131 - Shade the Changing Man

Keywords: Vertigo; needs a reread; horror (maybe), Peter Milligan

Creators:
Writer -  Peter Milligan
Art - Chris Bachalo and a host of others
Colours - Daniel Vozzo and others

Publisher: DC latterly under the Vertigo imprint

No. issues: 70
Date of Publication: 1990 - 1996

Last read: 2010

Really simple one this, a comic I loved as it came out (well up to issue 47 as I'd stopped reading comics for sometime beyond that) preferred it to Sandman and the like, and would be a top 20 comic if that experience was my last BUT I re-read the lot sometime ago and some of the characters (hi Lenny) REALLY grated and so it dropped in my estimations, but is definitely due a re-read as I suspect I'd re-evaluate again.


Copyright - them what created it...well and DC Comics I guess

Peter Milligan was recruited by Karen Berger in the 'second wave' of the British invasion. Much like Grant Morrison had done with Animal Man, for his first major work he plucked an obscure character from DC's D list and revitalised them in simply incredible ways.

Pete Milligan chose to re-imagine Shade the Changing Man, a character created by Steve Ditko for DC in 1977, the character had a very brief series, which fell victim to DC's Implosion in 1978. After that they made the odd appearance, principally as a member of the second Suicide Squad during the 80s. Pete Milligan picked up the character and well ran with the concept in incredible ways.


Copyright - them what created it...well and DC Comics I guess

His story focuses on Rac Shade (well it kinda does, I'll come back to that) tricked into leaving his home world of Meta to Earth, his body left behind and forcing him to inhabit the body of Troy Grenzer, a serial killer about to be executed. He initially has to fight The American Scream, a manifestation of America's unconscious nightmares and trauma... or something like that...He tackles these manifestations apparently using his M-Vest (the source of the original Shade's powers) to channel the reality warping 'Madness' of Meta. This storyline dominates the first 18 issues of the series.

The second major phase, as I see it, between 19-50 is the real heart of the book in my mind, the Kathy / Lenny / Shade years. Freed from the constraints of the American Scream storyline Milligan uses shorter stories to explore the relationship between its three main characters. The aforementioned Shade of course. Kathy George, a woman whose parents were murdered by Troy Grenzer, remember Shade inhabits his body, and who has been in a relationship with Shade since the early issues. Finally Lenny Shapiro, an artist who joins Shade and Kathy on their travels across America during the 'American Scream Years'.


Copyright - them what created it...well and DC Comics I guess

This period of the comic is when it really lets loose, well in terms of the ideas it covers, it's not as if the early issues have any lack of imagination and creative marvels! These issues, focused on the love triangle between the three, allows the series to explore typical Milligan themes such as identity really, really well.

The final phase of the story deals with the fallout of issue 50, I'm not sure I will be avoiding spoilers during these write ups, but this one feels pretty significant, if you've not read the series its fundamental, if you have you know what that is. Suffice to say the trio are no longer together and Shade takes some pretty drastic steps to deal with the pain, loss and the trauma he has been through, while coping with the madness that inhabits him. This last phase is traditionally not as fondly remembered as the first 50, but I found them pretty damned good.


Copyright - them what created it...well and DC Comics I guess

While the series was one of the ongoing DC titles that helped launch Vertigo Comics out of the 'Bergerverse' (The 'mature reader' comics edited by Karen Berger) it often feels like the forgotten gem of that bunch, Sandman, Animal Man, SwampThing, Hellblazer etc. That's a shame as it's better than most those titles - which provides a hint of a series of posts I'll do here about very well regarded titles that don't make this list and why they don't. It has a small cult following, when compared to the small cult following all those titles have! And fans that know it really seem to dig it and for very good reason. These are bold, imaginative comics that really examine interesting themes and ideas with creative freedom those other titles don't stretch to. It's a great read and one I very much look forward to re-evaluating and wonder how much higher it will place on this sort of list when I do.

No small part of why this series is so good is Chris Bachalo's stunning art. While he only draws around half the issues, he does the bulk of the early run and his visuals are so closely associated with the series. In the first year or so you see his art and confidence just blossom in front of your eyes. Once past that he manages the incredible juggling act of capturing the very intimate human side of the characters, with the psychedelic madness of the world they inhabit. It's astonishing work and makes clear why he became the superstar artist he did.


Copyright - them what created it...well and DC Comics I guess

The other artists that come onto the title, and there are some big names, Bryan Talbot, Brendan McCarthy, Colleen Doran, our own Mighty Yeowell, Philip Bond, Sean Phillips, Mark Buckingham amongst them, all provide good, even great, work. None of them however are quite able to replace Bachalo as the artist who gets this book, its characters and whose stunning work defines it.

So yeah, Shade the Changing Man, while not as well remembered, and certainly not as discussed as many Vertigo titles, in many ways does more to define what Vertigo will do at its best than any other. It certainly helped open up my mind to what comics could do and the thrilling way they could explore complex and imitate themes without holding back on the creative wonder the medium is so perfect for.

A series if you've not read and enjoy Peter Milligan's stuff you should really, really check it out. If you have and like me haven't read it for a while, maybe it's time to dust them off and remember why it had such an impact on my teenage brain!

Where to find it

Available trades covering the first 18 issues.

And I think that's it alas. Kinda strange that such a great series hasn't got the reprints it deserves (that I'm aware of) and plays a big part into why it's not as well remembered as many of its 'lesser' cousins.

That said you can pick but the floppies pretty easily and cheaply for just that reason. I've seen complete sets going for £1 an issue when they do show up. If you've not read them its well, well worth a little patience to do just that.

Learn more

Obligatory Wikipedia page

Nice write-up

Interesting and very focused looked at a specific issue Shade #19 which tuches on why the series is so good.

Eruditorum Press has an overview that has different reflections to mine and is worth a read for that alone.

[Colin YNWA]

Number 130 - Orbital

Keywords: Cinebooks; Bande dessinée; Sci-fi; 2000ad

Creators:
Writer -  Sylvain Runberg
Art - Serge Pelle

Publisher: Cinebook, in UK, Dupuis for the original French publication

No. issues: 8 albums
Date of Publication: 2009 - 2020 (in UK); 2006 - 2019 (in France)

Last read: 2021

Orbital is an 8 volume French series published in the UK by the wonderful Cinebook. I'll be talking about the UK versions here as my French and indeed ability in all languages is embarrassingly lacking.


Copyright - them what created it...

The series follows Caleb Swany and Mezoke Izzua partners in the Interworld Diplomatic Office (IDO, need to be careful typing that at the moment alas) tasked with keeping the peace (oh the irony given what I said just before!) on Orbital, of the title, a vast city on the edge of the known universe, well known to humankind that is. While the two are denoted as diplomats they function largely as cops. There's plenty of high octane sci-fi action.

The two are also the proverbial odd couple, buddy 'cop' duo. Mezoke is an alien of the Sandjarr species, while Caleb is the first human officer in the IDO. And the series plays with their relationship really nicely and while there is plenty of political intrigue and tensions, dollops of action adventure, it's this pairing that forms the heart of the series.


Copyright - them what created it...

To be honest as I start out on this quest to detail my 100 favourite comics series (ahem) I suspect I will hit a number of comics like this that I'm not 100% that I have much to say other than

"This is great comics, you should check this out."

but let's see how we get on.

I read this only a couple of years ago and fair to say it feels to me like the most 2000ad of Cinebook's offering. There's even easy, probably too easy, parallels to Grey Area here. It's an imaginative, hardboiled action adventure, with plenty of world building and a strong undercurrent of political commentary. It's fast paced, it moves brisky, never lets the deep dive into the political backdrop linger too long before the plot drives forward and the guns are drawn.

I have to be honest, while I only read this a couple of years ago since I read this the diplomatic tensions, political infighting that drive the story escape my feeble memory and it's more a visceral feeling that this comic was immense fun that puts it on the list. I remember loving the interplay between the two characters as their relationship grows. The specifics and details have slipped away. And that's fine, that's enough. This list is quite intuitive and if I 'have a feeling' a given comic should be there as I have fond thoughts of it, even if the whys and wherefores are vague, well dammit that's enough, you're on the list. I strongly suspect it's the 2000adesque nature of this that's struck a chord with me.

It's likely also that vagueness, the fact a lot of the specifics have slipped away from me that also means it places low. It resonated with me for sure, but not enough for me to have a firm grip on the detail and specifics. There's no scenes that lodge in my head. No moments that linger and define what it is about this series that work for me. It's really good, but can't be THAT good if I've let so much slide out my noggin after only a couple of years. Mind my memory is bloody awful so there is that as well, I can't hold my failing too hard against it.


 Copyright - them what created it...

Another thing that allows me to know this needs to be on the list is Serge Pelle's stunning art. They make you believe this wonderfully alien world is real and solid. They have an exquisite design sense when it comes to world building, and even the smallest panel just oozes details and solidity. I'd love to see them take on Mega City One, there are real parallels to how David Taylor makes that world come to life and feels so robust and real, yet almost ethereal in its differences to our world.

There's also a very intriguing contrast between the more... cartoony... shall we say, way they draws people's faces and the tight detailed way they build the world. They are juxtaposed really effectively. It's important to note that while I say the way they draw faces is 'cartoony' it conveys the acting of characters perfectly well. Character's emotions and motives, both alien and human alike are fantastically realised. *


 Copyright - them what created it...

Another aspect of the art that needs mentioning is the colouring; it's wonderfully effective. Again another 2000ad parallel to draw here. The colours remind my inexpert eye of Gary Caldwell, they are soft, muted, earthy, but that allows things to pop wonderfully when colours not normally seen are used.


 Copyright - them what created it...

The series really is an artistic tour-de-force. It's visually stunning and while I often think of myself as a reader drawn to the writers on a series, rather than the art, I think the astonishing real, alien visuals are a large part of why the comic works so well for me.

So Orbital, a complete series in 8 volumes. I got nowt to say about it. Get drawn in by the art, get pulled in by its 2000ad type storytelling, but fall in love with the characters and their relationship. That's all I gotta say on this one.


 Copyright - them what created it...

Where to find it

All 8 volumes are still and print and available from Cinebook

Learn more

  Obligatory (but short in this case) Wikipaedia page

Reviews of all 8 volumes from the fantastic Pipeline Comics

*Addendum. After writing this I watched a wonderful YouTube video by the luxurious Matttt (and that's not just my 't' key sticking that's the name of his channel) which explains about how Manga uses this technique to great effect and why its used and the impact it has on the reader. Seriously, every day is a school day and you should defo watch this even though it's got nowt to do with the comics above.

[Hawkmumbler]

Here me now, echoing everything Colin just said.

Orbital will not change your world, but it's really, REALLY rock solid euro-fi comics and worth a punt on the entire run. Apply that to so much of Cinebooks out put...

Damn it Colin, did you time this to optimize how much money I'm liable to shift at the Cinebooks stand this weekend? You fiend, you absolute fiend.

[Colin YNWA]

Damn it Colin, did you time this to optimize how much money I'm liable to shift at the Cinebooks stand this weekend? You fiend, you absolute fiend.

Hey at least you can Zac. Cos I've been so rubbish at getting to cons and that was the main way I picked up Cinebooks I've SO far behind on a number of series. Do they still do those lush bulk buy offers?

[Trooper McFad]

That looks good and my interest is piqued

Are you on some type of commission from these creators?

Your write ups are brilliant but I can see them costing me potentially lots of money 😖

I just hope most are on Digital format as I won't have enough room to buy all the hard copies of the comics recommended 🙁.

[Hawkmumbler]

Damn it Colin, did you time this to optimize how much money I'm liable to shift at the Cinebooks stand this weekend? You fiend, you absolute fiend.

Hey at least you can Zac. Cos I've been so rubbish at getting to cons and that was the main way I picked up Cinebooks I've SO far behind on a number of series. Do they still do those lush bulk buy offers?

I didn't go last year and didn't have the funds the year prior so didn't check, was more of a social con 2021 was. I shall report back with my findings...that's if you don't hear the guttural cries of my wallet resonating from somewhere in Yorkshire first.

[Colin YNWA]

I just hope most are on Digital format as I won't have enough room to buy all the hard copies of the comics recommended 🙁.

Cinebooks are albums and thus lovely and slim so you can get all 8 with very little shelf space needed ... and I promise there is no kick back to me! That said I do need to spin post to digital offering more and that's something I'll look to improve.

Thank you for you very kind words and SORRY!

[Trooper McFad]

Thanks Colin

As much as I've gone 90% Digital I still prefer a physical book to hold so I am particular on which copies I pick up - they have to be HC to start

 

[Colin YNWA]

Number 129 - Nowhere Men

Keywords: Image; Unfinished; Sci-fi; The Beatles

Creators:
Writer -  Eric Stepthenson
Art - Nate Bellegarde; Dave Taylor
Colours - Jordie Baellaire

Publisher: Image Comics

No. issues: 11 - to date... in theory
Date of Publication: 2012 - 2016 ... well in theory for now

Last read: 2016

Oh what could have been, what could have been. There will be a number of series in this list that haven't reached their desired conclusion, I mean we've had another already. This one though feels like it's going to be one of the series to suffer most because of this. The comic had a wonderful premise, what if scientists had been the 'rock and roll' stars, not... well ...rock and roll stars. What if The Beatles had been a Fantastic Four of the science world, not the Fab Four of the music world. Throw in some superheroes created al la the actual comic book Fantastic four and you have an amazing concept which is played with... well fabulously.


Copyright - them what created it...

Image Comic's Publisher Eric Stephenson turned his hand back to writing - he's apparently done some bits and bobs before, mainly on Marvel titles, but this is the first work I was conscious of. He joined up with Nate Bellegarde in 2012 to create the high concept, sci-fi series Nowhere Men.

The comic follows two main storylines. Firstly there we follow the four scientists who founded 'World Corp' in the 60s and shot to global mega-stardom. Treated like our world treats rock stars. Their scientific and technological advances changing the world massively and seemingly for the good. At the time the series is set the four have split up and we see them all, well most of them, as older men and begin to understand how that mega stardom, ego and developing philosophies have driven them apart. The band, as all great bands seem to have inevitably split up.


Copyright - them what created it...

The series delves into the past and we learn more about how their friendship and work was shattered during their heyday and begin to understand how they have got to the points they have during the 'current' era.

The second key storyline involves the crew of a research station in orbit infected by some cosmic interstellar ...something. The crew manage to get down to Earth and the infection seems to have given them superpowers... in most instances. How they cope with their new 'powers', what all this means and how they can be used creates intrigue.


Copyright - them what created it...

It also crucially pulls the remaining founders of World Corp back together to try to understand the implications and science behind these transformations. Meanwhile other forces, some within World Corp itself, have their own agendas.


Copyright - them what created it...

It's high concept, heady stuff. Lots of ideas and themes, all thrown together into a rich, powerful mix. At its core though it's the story of friendships and the pressures that drive them apparent. The impact of fame and ego on brilliant, creative minds. How this impacts on those people and their families. Yes its high concept but it's also wonderfully human and character based. It's brilliant stuff.

Its only real problem is the series production had its own dramas. Nate Bellegarde, whose wonderful art really added to the first arc and whose design of characters was near perfect, had some significant health issues. He was unable to continue the series after a number of delays. He wrote an open letter explaining this and laying out clearly his views on things.

The series went on hiatus, but folks knew they had gold here, after all it got a number of Eisner nominations. A couple of promised returns weren't realised; it eventually came back for the second arc with Dave Taylor being a more than able replacement on art. Hope returned, but then so did the delays. And after another 5 issues limped out, so 11 were produced in almost 4 years... then... nothing.


Copyright - them what created it...

Such a shame. The problems that lead to the book finally seeming to be cancelled, though this was never officially announced, aren't as clear as those behind the first hiatus. Dave Taylor has also had health problems, Eric Stepthenson seemed to be frustrated by continued problems. Who knows exactly what happened, but it killed this brilliant series. And despite the 11 issues we got being so good it remains a frustrating unfinished tale, with so many questions left hanging and not enough tied up to leave a satisfying read. Hence its low position in this list of great comics. I am left to wonder quite how high it would have been if we'd got to some kind of ending, let alone the planned ending.

This was a brilliant series. With fantastic ideas used to support some rich, engaging characters the like of which you don't get to see too often in fiction. The art was uniformly fantastic throughout. The final great thing, not yet mentioned, is the astonishingly good design to package all this. From logos, to 'historical' text pieces, to back matter, to merchandise EVERYTHING produced for this comic looked so good. It was clear folks cared a lot about this and knew they had something special. It's such a shame even that wasn't enough.


Copyright - them what created it...

Where to find it

Well you can get the first arc from all the normal outlets.

The rest alas hasn't been collected, after all it wasn't finished. So you'll need to track them down on the aftermarket. Shouldn't been too hard or too expensive and if you except it not finished well worth it.

They all appear to be available via Comixology if anyone still uses that!

Learn more

Obligatory Wikipaedia page

Cancelled Greats coverage of this... cancelled greats with LOTS of lovely visuals / pages from the series.

You'll learn all you need to by reading the First issue for free at the Image Comics website. [Note this appears to be down as I post this but the link from the issue one page is still there and it was up what a couple of weeks ago when I wrote this up, so fingers crossed this will be fixed?]

[JohnW]

You have intrigued me, Colin.
That art. That overall design. Nice

Ordered.

(And the TPB you link to appears to be out of print, so I just paid half nothing for a secondhand copy.)

[Colin YNWA]

Ordered.

(And the TPB you link to appears to be out of print, so I just paid half nothing for a secondhand copy.)

Nice one. Really hope you enjoy it!

[IndigoPrime]

I'd always hoped with Nowhere Men they'd put out a final issue that would wrap things up in some way. I imagine it wouldn't have been satisfactory, but it would have been something. (Or perhaps a few issues.) I really liked the story. Annoyed it just got left hanging. And, honestly, this played a big part in me scaling back my Image purchases to stories that were either one-and-done, already finished, or that had enough within each HC to keep me going, even when release schedules are deeply, deeply frustrating. (I'm looking at you, Saga; and especially you, Lazarus.)

[Colin YNWA]

Yep its really really frustrating and the number of series I've hung onto, Mudman, Autumnlands etc etc and like you its made me a lot more reluctant to take a 'risk' which becomes a negative feedback cycle!

(I'm looking at you, Saga; and especially you, Lazarus.)

Both of these are coming to a thread near you very soon, but for very different reasons...

[Barrington Boots]

More fantastic stuff Colin, thank you! I'm definitely reading Orbital on the strength of this.

Nowhere Men sounds fascinating... but I can't get invested in something with no ending.

These mini-articles are brilliant. Comprehensive and full of genuine love for the comic in question.