othelladub's Diaryland Diary
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ten years of great comics
TEN COMICS, TEN YEARS The following is a list of ten comics or comic-book series or graphic novels which I have found to be examplary examples of the comic-book form over the past ten years.
10. OUTLAW NATION This Vertigo series went highly unnoticed, but it had everything: politics, violence, sex, art, conspiracy theories. It was one of the best written comics' series of all time, and I mourn its passing. 9. HOUSE OF SECRETS (VERTIGO, again) This highly underrated gem had a great tandem, working at the top of their form - Steven T. Seagle, and Teddy Kristiansen. I can't say enough about the art. Great stuff. This series featured kickass art by Philip Bond, and a great rock-and-roll story. Highly recommended to music fans, and fans of cross-generational sex. Oh my! (could easily be optioned and made into a TV-miniseries or HBO movie - albeit with a few minor alterations) 7. 100%, by Paul Pope For those who hide behind the veneer of fine art, disparaging the good name of comics - I have one name for you: Paul Pope. If this man's not an artist, there is no such thing. He's an amazing storyteller, and I think his work congealed into something magnificent with this series. I should rate it higher, actually, but I couldn't wait that long to praise it. If you haven't read it, or checked it out - hunt it down! Its worth the effort. 6. GLOBAL FREQUENCY Warren Ellis isn't god, as some of his fans attest. But he writes some damn entertaining comics. This series is likely to be picked up and made into a movie or television series, if reports are to be believed. The art ranges in style and quality, as each issue is drawn by a different artist. However, each issue contains a stand-alone story which can be enjoyed on its own - a lost art in comics these days. 5. Y: THE LAST MAN Brian K. Vaughan is a great storyteller. Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan, Jr. deliver impressive visuals. The covers by J.G. Jones are blisteringly awe-inspiring, as well. And it has a monkey! 4. DAREDEVIL work by Bendis 3. WILDCATS work by Travis Charest and Alan Moore Alan Moore made the WildCats book interesting. He brought a depth to the characters which grabbed the reader, and kept us enthralled, even without the superhero action. It was a great book, for a while, and Travis Charest's artwork exploded during this period. Some of those pages are seared into my consciousness, and really help me to appreciate what a good comic is. 2. PREACHER - 1st Trade Paperback Quite disturbing, but written well, and the art is spot-on. Garth Ennis made a name for himself with this book, and for good reason. Ennis keeps the story moving along with interesting characters, unexpected twists, and a fair share of crude humour. A classic.
1. A TIE: LOVE AND ROCKETS, Fantagraphics and the Peter David-era HULK, specifically the Dale Keown and Gary Frank issues Two completely different beasts, and yet they both shine with clever characterization and dialogue. HULK: Keown was developing his style, issue by issue, on the Hulk, and Peter David was just smoking, plotwise. LOVE AND ROCKETS: Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez tell stories which cannot be easily classified. There are things which are unreal, and yet they feel so real. There's a truth in what they do, and its hard to define. But its different from anything else, and it gets inside of you and affects you.
1:39 a.m. - 2003-11-13 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. VERTIGO POP! PRESENTS: LONDON
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