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

[Hawkmumbler]

Do they still do those lush bulk buy offers?

They do! 10 for 5, in this economy? The mad lads.

I was already over budget by the time I found the stall so behaved and left it, but the Leo books (mostly the last few issues of Namibia and the later Aldebaran cycle volumes I've not got around too yet) tempted me something horrid.

[BadlyDrawnKano]

Really enjoying reading this thread Colin. Shade has always been one of my all time favourite, and it seems insane that only the there's only the first three trades and that's that. I have been slowly collecting the rest as single issues (as I stupidly sold my original set when I was very, very broke in late nineties) and when I do I plan to get one of those comics binding companies to make it in to three omnibus editions so I can cherish it forevermore.

I'd not heard of Nowhere Men or Orbital, so shall add them to my already far too long Amazon wishlist!

[Colin YNWA]

... I'm definitely reading Orbital on the strength of this.

... Comprehensive and full of genuine love for the comic in question.

Cool - really hope you enjoy Orbital. As for the love on show, we're at the bottom end of the list, just imagine how its going to get at the top end. It'll be positively sticky!

[Colin YNWA]

Do they [Cinebooks] still do those lush bulk buy offers?

They do! 10 for 5, in this economy? The mad lads.

Cool Beans! I really need to get back on the Con trail so I can catch up with them, and any number of you lovely folks.

... Shade has always been one of my all time favourite, and it seems insane that only the there's only the first three trades and that's that. I have been slowly collecting the rest as single issues (as I stupidly sold my original set when I was very, very broke in late nineties) and when I do I plan to get one of those comics binding companies to make it in to three omnibus editions so I can cherish it forevermore.

I'd not heard of Nowhere Men or Orbital, so shall add them to my already far too long Amazon wishlist!

I was a little surprised (well kinda in the context of being a bit surprised anyone reads my guff!!) there weren't more comments about Shade and the fact its relatively low on the list (mind all of these are GREAT comics). I thought there were a number of fans on the board and that the 2000ad crowd would love it.

Love the idea of doing some bindings... one day, one day...

[IndigoPrime]

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

Well, that's got me curious.

I'd not heard of Nowhere Men or Orbital, so shall add them to my already far too long Amazon wishlist!

Just... prepare for disappointment with Nowhere Men just stopping. I got it in a Humble Bundle and within two issues was set to buy it, until I realised it'd never be completed. (And although what's there is really good, it for me was ultimately unsatisfying in how it's left. Fine as part of a Humble, but in print? Nah.)

[BadlyDrawnKano]

I was a little surprised (well kinda in the context of being a bit surprised anyone reads my guff!!) there weren't more comments about Shade and the fact its relatively low on the list (mind all of these are GREAT comics). I thought there were a number of fans on the board and that the 2000ad crowd would love it.

Love the idea of doing some bindings... one day, one day...

Out of the "British Invasion" of the late eighties it seems Shade is the one that has fallen off the radar, Moore's Swamp Thing and Watchmen, Morrison's Animal Man and Doom Patrol, Delano and Ennis's Hellblazer runs and Gaiman's The Sandman are held in incredibly high regard, but poor old Peter does seem to have been forgotten about a bit.

I'd not heard of Nowhere Men or Orbital, so shall add them to my already far too long Amazon wishlist!

Just... prepare for disappointment with Nowhere Men just stopping. I got it in a Humble Bundle and within two issues was set to buy it, until I realised it'd never be completed. (And although what's there is really good, it for me was ultimately unsatisfying in how it's left. Fine as part of a Humble, but in print? Nah.)

I've been reading a fair few Image comics where that's happened so am (unfortunately) starting to get used to it, but thanks for the heads up.

[Jim_Campbell]

poor old Peter does seem to have been forgotten about a bit.

He does, and most unfairly, IMO. I was heartened to hear our very own Matt Smith mention Milligan/McKeever's "The Extremist" as his choice of under-rated comic (on the most recent Comics for the Apocalypse podcast). Also, "Enigma", which, in a better world, would be mentioned as reverentially as Watchmen.

[Colin YNWA]

... Also, "Enigma", which, in a better world, would be mentioned as reverentially as Watchmen.

Oh you are going to be so mad at me when I do a post way down the road then! Currently planned for a post straight after my highest placing Pete Milligan series...

[Jim_Campbell]

Oh you are going to be so mad at me when I do a post way down the road then! Currently planned for a post straight after my highest placing Pete Milligan series...

To be fair, Enigma did get me laid, which is more than I can say for Watchmen or DKR.

[JohnW]

To be fair, Enigma did get me laid

And see the thread morph into Campbell Confidential: a Letterer After Dark

[Colin YNWA]

To be fair, Enigma did get me laid

And see the thread morph into Campbell Confidential: a Letterer After Dark

There's a legion of comic fans just queueing up to hear how that worked. Jim you need to take this on a one man show World Tour!

[Jim_Campbell]

There's a legion of comic fans just queueing up to hear how that worked.

Not as interesting as I made it sound... unsurprisingly. Went to UKCAC in '94 (I think!) and got into a conversation with a young lady who was waaaay out of my league about our shared love for Vertigo and, particularly, Enigma. Randomly bumped into her in a pub later on in the evening and the resumed conversation resolved itself in much a better fashion than I expected.

[Colin YNWA]

Number 128 - Gotham Central

Keywords: Batman; needs a reread; Crime Comic

Creators:
Writer -  Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker
Art - Michael Lark and a host of others

Publisher: DC Comics

No. issues: 40
Date of Publication: Dec 2002 - April 2006

Last read: 2016

While Batman gets all the attention when it comes to fighting costume crime it could be argued that the real heroes are the regular cops that have to deal with the costumed crazies that he attracts to the city. Doing that without the high tech resources of a super vigilante billionaire.  Gotham Central addresses this and in some ways is Hill Street Blues in a city as dark and dangerous as Batman's haunt. If being a cop (well according to the telly I watch) in America is as hard and emotionally destructive, what would it do to someone in a city so besieged by supervillains?


 Copyright - DC Comics and not them what created it...

It's a simple concept that had been played with before, particularly in stories and mini-series focused on Jim Gordon. This series really ran with things though and provided a large ensemble cast to allow room for much more human investigation of the impact of being a cop in Gotham. As I recall it reads like folks who loved The Wire translating the cop elements of that tour-de-force to a city overrun with super crime, against which they are entirely out of their depth.


Copyright -  DC Comics and not them what created it...

The serie's two writers used a smart set-up to allow them both as much scope and room to play with their own cast of characters. Gotham Central Police Force has two shifts, the Day Shift was written by Greg Rucka, the Night Shift written by Ed Brubaker. Each taking turns to produce short arcs with their cast, but giving the whole thing a sense of cohesion. It's smartly set up and really worked well.

The art was provided at first by Michael Lark. His earthy, gritty work was perfect for the tone of the series that was unsurprisingly hard boiled and dark. This is a comic that didn't hold back on the physical and emotional punches as you might expect.


Copyright -  DC Comics and not them what created it...

Lark was inked by Stefano Gaudiano after a while and there were a number fill in artists. When Lark moved on after issue 25 a team of artists took the reins and to be fair they all kept up the tone and felt perfectly well. This was aided by colour artists who provided a suitably downtrodden colour palette. For all the artistic changes the series did feel consistent and well presented.

The cast featured a number of GCPD regulars from Batman, Detective and other Bat Family comics. It did a good job of not allowing them to take over and giving all the cast time and room to shine and grow... or very often get crushed and diminished. As it had a wide range of characters in such a hard environment no one felt entirely safe and that added to the gritty edge. The time this comic came out superhero comics had begun to move away from the idea that 'mature' comics required either big guns and plenty of pouches; or magic and cynicism. They still arguably lent too hard into the grim and gritty and this might be this series biggest drawback. Mind with the topic at hand it's hard to imagine this story working any other way.


Copyright -  DC Comics and not them what created it...

The series reached a natural conclusion. First Michael Lark left after a couple of years. After another year Brubaker moved on. At that point Greg Rucka wasn't needing to wrap things up but felt it belonged to all three and didn't want to continue without the others and so drew things to a close after a couple more stories with issue 40. Has to be said, while I'd have happily had more, it's probably to the series benefit that after a very strong, consistent run they called time and as such it is a tight, well remembered series that didn't drift from its original intent and didn't over play the premise.

I've not re-read this series since I first got it all almost 8 years ago now (well I'll have read it 7-8 years ago, likely I purchased them over 10 years ago such is the nature of my to read list... well spreadsheet!) but the series is getting close to the top of my reading list again and it will be interesting to see how well this holds up. As it is if you enjoy your comics hard boiled, downtrodden, gritty and rain soaked you can't ask for more. If you like shows like The Wire, comics like Criminal, or even better That Texas Blood, while having a hankering for a superhero universe this provides the perfect blend and though it's been a while I feel safe recommending it.   


Copyright -  DC Comics and not them what created it...


Where to find it

couple of options in the big online book sellers or your LCS. A big reasonably priced Omnibus or 4 chunky trades.

It's also available digitally easily enough from what was Comixology in the UK now moving its content to Kindle - grrrrhh.

That said I doubt you'd pay much for the original floppies in the after market.

Worth noting there were 5 original trades released when the series first came out which I'd avoid simply as they aren't comprehensive and miss out the odd story.

Learn more

Obligatory Wikipedia page

Near Mint Collections has a review of the Omnibus which includes a nice insight into the story as well as the book.

Maddogg Comics another decent video review of the series... why am I going for videos for this one?

Cover Gallery from Grand Comics Database.

[JohnW]

I hadn't seen The Wire when I read this, but the comparison is apt. But imagine if Penguin or the Riddler popped up from time to time in The Wire. The absurdity would deflate everything around it.
Gotham Central was very nearly a hard-boiled slice-of-life cop story and very nearly a Batman story for grownups, but narrowly missed both marks.
(...And then didn't it balls up the lot towards the end by dragging itself into a big fat DC crossover event of some sort?)
I'm possibly being unfair. I remember this as high-grade comics, but I also remember my frustration at its just-a-couple-of-inches-too-short shortcomings.

[Hawkmumbler]

(...And then didn't it balls up the lot towards the end by dragging itself into a big fat DC crossover event of some sort?)

Twas ever thus.

One I'm incredibly ignorant of, but a curiosity or two has been piqued. On the pile it goes, cheers Colin.
Actually surprised how little none Vertigo DC stuff I own.
Grant and Breyfoggles Batman stuff, Ostranders original Suicide Squad stuff and that is sort of it.