 |
| Absolute Edition |
 |
| "Relentless" Trade |
By Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
Without this comic book, there would be little hope for the modern slew of overly cinematic layouts and action-oriented series being published right now. The Authority was the first of the 'widescreen' comics, attempting to give a more big-budget, blockbuster feel to superhero stories. This is down to a combination of intricately thought out scripts by Warren Ellis and some massively detailed, often overwhelming artwork by Bryan Hitch. The story is, at it's core, a deconstruction of the superhero team, who themselves are a mock-up of the Justice League of America. This collects the first twelve issues of the run, which have previously been collected in trade format in "Relentless" and partially in "Under New Management."
Available in: Absolute Edition
 |
| Trade Cover |
By Daniel Clowes
An independent work focusing on two social outcasts, this graphic novel from cartoonist Daniel Clowes is a surprisingly witty, always enjoyable romp through the world of isolation and individuality. Nothing in the book feels progressive, yet the characters do evolve as we follow them over time, growing from cynical, world-hating teenagers into fully formed, intellectual adults. It's a grim analysis of the world of youth, and the things we do in adolescence, but it paints a perfect portrait of life and evolution.
Available in: Trade paperback
 |
| Hardcover Edition |
By Chris Ware
Chris Ware is a genius of the graphic novel format, so much so that this work has been heralded as something much more than a comic book by various literary snobs around the globe. It is a work of art, combined with a deeply engaging, well thought out story which is presented through both real-time events and intricate flashbacks throughout. The book feels personal and powerful, despite claims by Ware that it is not; the fact that there is no definitive past for the character also adds to the intriguing nature of the book and has the reader ask whether anything they've seen has been real at all.
Available in: Hardcover
 |
| Deluxe Edition |
 |
| "Coward" trade |
The creative team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips worked, successfully together on the Wildstorm epic, "Sleeper," which does not feature on this list. Many will argue that their previous collaboration was a much more enjoyable story, some may even argue that their follow-up to this crime epic, superhero drama "Incognito" was superior. But this is exactly the kind of thing both men were born to do; gritty characters, gritty images, gritty content. Every page of "Criminal" feels violent and realistic; a perfect portrait of crime and despair in Modern Day America. The contents of this volume have also been collected in trade paperback format as "Coward," "Lawless" and "The Dead and the Dying."
Available in: Deluxe Edition
 |
| Hardcover Edition |
By Greg Rucka and J H Williams III
There is nothing that quite compares to a combination of J H Williams III artwork and a chilling Greg Rucka script. This collection of issues from Detective Comics cover the formal introduction of Batwoman into the regular DC continuity, as she does battle with a criminal mastermind, and we discover her origin in the aftermath. It's a wonderfully engaging tale, not only for the wonderful storyline, but for the mind-bogglingly good artwork; every panel has been perfectly arranged and choreographed to meet the needs of the story. J H Williams III is a true master of presentation and style, and this book is the best work of his career.
Available in: Hardcover
 |
| Trade Paperback |
 |
| Premiere Hardcover |
By Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
It seemed controversial at the time that a relative newcomer to comic books was going to completely revamp the Spider-Man character for modern audiences; it seemed stranger, too, that veteran Spider-Man artist, Mark Bagley would work alongside him. Somehow, Brian Michael Bendis shocked the world, and handed in a seven-issue arc which retold, in a wonderfully decompressed style, the origin of Spider-Man. What took Stan Lee and Steve Ditko only eleven pages takes almost 200 in this stunning modernisation of the legendary character. It's an incredible achievement and deserves to be read right from the start, especially considering the series has just hit it's 150th issue milestone.
Available in: Trade Paperback and Premiere Hardcover
 |
| Absolute Edition |
 |
| "Preludes and Nocturnes" trade |
By Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Chris Bachalo, Michael Zulli, Steve Parkhouse, Kelley Jones, Charles Vess and Colleen Doran
Neil Gaiman's gothic epic, Sandman, is one of those series to be constantly praised with critical acclaim and highest honours; yet, it is less down to Gaiman's scripts, which are stunningly powerful, but more to the artwork, which is a constant transition of engaging images, lucid designs and intriguing concepts. Sam Keith, Chris Bachalo, Kelley Jones and Charles Vess are among the highlights of this debut volume, offering a combination of stark style and fantastical brilliance. The contents of this edition have also been collected in trade paperback form as "Preludes and Nocturnes," "The Doll's House" and "Dream Country."
Available in: Absolute Edition
 |
| Premiere Hardcover |
 |
| Trade Paperback |
By Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
By the time the 2000s rolled around, the Punisher, as a character was completely dead. Nobody at Marvel knew what to do with him. So, when the Marvel Knights imprint of more mature series came into prominence, the task of bringing back the Punisher was handed to the team of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, the two behind the gory religious road trip of "Preacher." They're take on the Punisher was to induce as much senseless violence as possible into the character and series, while also upping the amount of humour and general silliness. Everything feels cartoony, but it also feels frighteningly real.
Available in: Trade Paperback and Premiere Hardcover
 |
| Omnibus Edition |
 |
| "Super-Human" trade |
Mark Millar has always been known for his very cinematic style of comic book storytelling; and so, it seems only logical to combine him with the cinematic majesty of Bryan Hitch to create a book that was so perfect for filming that both men could be happy to churn out twenty-six issues. There's only one fill-in throughout the entire run, by Steve Dillon, and that's a side-story annual which builds the momentum of the main narrative but doesn't directly apply on first glance. This is the retelling of the Avengers' origin, but set in a modern world, where spies and superheroes merge. The whole thing has the intense vibe of the Authority, and the wonderful reimagining of characters expected of the Ultimate universe. The contents have also been collected in hardcovers and trade paperbacks including: "Super-Human," "Homeland Security," "Gods and Monsters" and "Grand Theft America." A follow-up series by Jeph Loeb was critically slated.
Available in: Omnibus Edition
 |
| Omnibus Edition |
 |
| "Underboss" trade |
By Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Lee Weeks, David Mack and Terry Dodson
It was Frank Miller who first made the character of Daredevil relevant to modern comic book readers; and then when Miller left the book, the character merely coasted for years, until Kevin Smith came along and put his slant on the character. It wasn't until Brian Michael Bendis took over the book with artist, Alex Maleev, in the regular pencilling slot that the book became a must-read epic once more. Chronicling the fall of the Kingpin's crime empire, and the repercussions of this, Bendis and Maleev's run on the series was a ballsy experiment in how much the reader's could enjoy the character of Daredevil, and yet how much of a wringer he could be put through. This isn't the complete run, but it is the better half; the second half, while equally perfect, does have a sense of finality about it, whereas the ending of this volume is a gasp inducing shock-horror moment that is sorely missed in comic books right now. The contents of this volume have also been collected in trade paperback form in: "Wake Up," "Underboss," "Out," "Lowlife" and "Hardcore."
Available in: Omnibus Edition
No comments:
Post a Comment