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[LordOfLore]

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Summer's the time for comics — Marvel and DC blockbusters are in movie theaters, fans are preparing to descend on San Diego for its epic annual Comic-Con, and if nothing else, your friendly local comic store or library is there to provide an air-conditioned Fortress of Solitude where you can escape the steamy streets.

So it's a perfect time for our super summer reader poll — a few months ago, we asked you to tell us all about your favorite comics and graphic novels. We assembled an amazing team of critics and creators to help winnow down more than 7,000 nominations to this final list of 100 great comics for all ages and tastes, from early readers to adults-only.

This isn't meant as a comprehensive list of the "best" or "most important" or "most influential" comics, of course. It's a lot more personal and idiosyncratic than that, because we asked folks to name the comics they loved. That means you'll find enormously popular mainstays like Maus and Fun Home jostling for space alongside newer work that's awaiting a wider audience (Check Please, anyone?).

So poke around to find old favorites — and discover some new ones.

Thought some here might need some help to find some summer reading.

 

[Citizen_Insane]

There's some really cool graphic novels and series on that list I've never heard of. Definitely got to check these all out.

 

[Corpsepyre]

Going to recommend a few I didn't see on that list. These are essential.

The Invisibles

The Filth

Annihilator

Scalped

Black Hole

 

[More_Badass]

A lot of fantastic stuff here if you're interested in getting into comics but don't like superheroes. Sweet Tooth in particular is fantastic. It's like The Last of Us/The Road mixed with folklore imagery

 

[KiKaL]

Cool list to see. After reading all the Walking Deads I realized I really liked the format. Read Fight Club 2, The Killing Joke and now currently reading Providence. There is so much out there it is tough to know what to checkout.

 

[More_Badass]

Cool list to see. After reading all the Walking Deads I realized I really liked the format. Read Fight Club 2, The Killing Joke and now currently reading Providence. There is so much out there it is tough to know what to checkout.

Just go by the genres you like. There's something for every niche. What kind of stuff do you enjoy?

 

[KiKaL]

Just go by the genres you like. There's something for every niche. What kind of stuff do you enjoy?

Still kind of figuring that out. I have enjoyed everything I have read so far but I don't think I will be too into a lot of superhero or manga. Granted I did really like The Killing Joke.

The things I have on my list to read are Lock & Key, The Sandman, The Dark Knight, Saga of the Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta.

 

[pirateluigi]

That's a solid list, beyond the fact that I auto agree with any list that includes Grasscutter. I'd add:

Chew
100 Bullets
We3
Life With Archie
Afterlife With Archie
Moon Knight (Ellis)
Flintstones

 

[Tyrant Rave]

Skimmed the list and saw Love & Rockets and Megahex right up front. Dope list.

 

[Any Questions]

 

[TheGameshark]

Definitely stuff on there that I've never heard of and will have to check out. Need more series to dive into. Didnt see LOW on there but it's currently my favorite sci-fi series that I'm reading right now. I just bought the Nausicaa box set on Amazon a couple days ago so can't wait to read that finally, heard good things.

 

[HStallion]

Seems like a great list though for some reason no one ever puts manga on these lists even if they include comics from outside of the USA. Not a big deal, just something I notice a lot.

 

[Tyrant Rave]

Seems like a great list though for some reason no one ever puts manga on these lists even if they include comics from outside of the USA. Not a big deal, just something I notice a lot.

They did include manga in this. Punpun, Akira, and Pluto are a few listed.

 

[bonesmccoy]

Neat list. I really enjoyed Gotham Central. Far better than the tv adaptation.

I read Wonton Soup, Orc Stain (1-7) Habitat, Southern Bastards, and Prophet recently. Waiting on Southern Cross' and Nowhere Men's Vol. 2's to come out.

 

[disillusion386]

This list was created from a curated survey so I'm absolutely loving the variety. Loved Daytripper, glad it made the list.

I'd recommend I Kill Giants as well (as it didn't make the list).

 

[Wanderer5]

Heh, don't think I read that many there. I had read:

Watchmen
Maus: A Survivors Tale
Fullmetal Alchemist
Saga
The Dark Knight Returns
Ms. Marvel
The Vision
Wonder Woman (only The Circle arc)
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
Calvin And Hobbes
Peanuts (only some small bits)
American Born Chinese

Yeah, pretty much all of those deserves to be on there, with some of them definitely being among my top favorites, like Calvin & Hobbes, Squirrel Girl, and Vision.

 

[More_Badass]

Still kind of figuring that out. I have enjoyed everything I have read so far but I don't think I will be too into a lot of superhero or manga. Granted I did really like The Killing Joke.

The things I have on my list to read are Lock & Key, The Sandman, The Dark Knight, Saga of the Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta.

No, I mean what genres do you like in general? Horror, drama, action, thrillers, crime, sci-fi, fantasy, history, spies, comedy...

 

[Farside]

Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia is my favorite. Hilariously awkward and weird.

 

[DerangedHermit]

Nice list but has a surprising lack of Brubaker stuff. Get some of these in your life:
- Criminal (noir)
- Sleeper (superhero noir? Authority universe...sort of) (edit: you might want to grab PointBlank too, it's a small book and is pretty much an intro to Sleeper)
- Incognito (Criminal turned into a crime fighter)
- Fatale (supernatural noir?)

I haven't read Fatale, The Fade Out and Kill or be Killed but heard good things about all three.

 

[HStallion]

They did include manga in this. Punpun, Akira, and Pluto are a few listed.

Ahh guess I missed them when I was scrolling through. Never mind then.

 

[Sojgat]

Not a bad list actually. Particularly happy to see Finder and Monstress on there.

 

[Dr.Social]

That's a really solid and varied list. There's another article worth reading that explains some of the notable absences.

The Negative Zone: What Didn't Make Our Final List

 

[Toa TAK]

Sex Criminals, peeps! Maus being in there is great, too. Remember reading that in middle school.


On the superhero side, REALLY pleased with Black Panther's inclusion. The recent run is easily my favorote ongoing run right now. Seriously, if people are pumped for the film, read it.

 

[Aizo]

I was just reading this. Of course you made a thread for it already. Maybe NPR should be in the title.

A lot of stuff leans towards the new, but damn. There are a lot of amazing comics on that list, I think.

 

[SoulClap]

Going to recommend a few I didn't see on that list. These are essential.

Scalped

Probably my favorite series ever.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Love And Rockets is the greatest comic series ever written, and possible the greatest story ever told in American fiction.

 

[Aizo]

Love And Rockets is the greatest comic series ever written, and possible the greatest story ever told in American fiction.

What order do you read that comic in? It's a bit confusing when looking at trades.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Everybody who hasn't read Hellboy needs to.

 

[DashReindeer]

Shocked there's not really much of a presence of Ed Brubaker on the list. I thought for sure he'd be more popular by now as he's one of the best writers still putting out stuff on a regular basis.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

What order do you read that comic in? It's a bit confusing when looking at trades.

Maggie the Mechanic (Jaime Vol.1)
The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. (Jaime Vol. 2)
Perla La Loca (Jaime Vol. 3)
Penny Century (Jaime Vol. 4)
Esperanza (Jaime Vol. 5)

Heartbreak Soup (Gilbert Vol. 1)
Human Diastrophism (Gilbert Vol. 2)
Beyond Palomar (Gilbert Vol. 3)
Luba and Her Family (Gilbert Vol. 4)
Ofelia (Gilbert Vol. 5)

That's the OG stuff.

 

[Aizo]

Maggie the Mechanic (Jaime Vol.1)
The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. (Jaime Vol. 2)
Perla La Loca (Jaime Vol. 3)
Penny Century (Jaime Vol. 4)
Esperanza (Jaime Vol. 5)

Heartbreak Soup (Gilbert Vol. 1)
Human Diastrophism (Gilbert Vol. 2)
Beyond Palomar (Gilbert Vol. 3)
Luba and Her Family (Gilbert Vol. 4)
Ofelia (Gilbert Vol. 5)

That's the OG stuff.

Is there any connection between the volumes?

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Is there any connection between the volumes?

No. I would recommend starting with Jaime's stuff first and then going to Gilbert personally, but it does not really matter.