Top 5 Non-Superhero Comics

bralinator

Just read an article someone shared with me and I thought it might make for some good, informative discussion here. The article was pointing at Marvel and DC 'relaunching' their lines recently, and amidst all the hoopla, it discussed lesser known properties by smaller publishers that didn't feature heroes in 'capes and tights' but featured well written, interesting stories that often feature exquisite artwork.

They listed their Top 5 Non-Superhero comics as follows:

1 ) Chrononauts
2 ) Descender
3 ) Alex + Ada
4 ) The Dying & The Dead
5 ) Southern Bastards

Two things stood out in this list. First, these are ALL Image comics. Secondly, two of them are no longer ongoing (Chrononauts & Alex + Ada) I also like the three of these that I have either collected, read, or at least sampled. I was also surprised Walking Dead didn't make this list...

Anyone else want to list their top 5 non-superhero comics? I bet we can come up with some titles that aren't just from Image Comics, although there are several that Image publishes that are truly top shelf comics.

TheOriginalGMan

1) Lazarus
2) The Fade Out
3) Saga
4) Autumnlands
5) Invisible Republic

"East of West' and "The Dying and the Dead" just miss making it.

On the original list, I only read Dying and the Dead and Chrononauts. Thought Chrononauts sucked.

Mr_Cosmic

1. The Manhattan Projects
2. East of West
3. Saga
4. The Dying & The Dead
5. ....uhm.....

Yeah, OK, so I don't read much that isn't Marvel or DC....yes, 3 of the four are Hickman books and they're all from Image..shoot me.

CaptShazam

1. Velvet
2. Fade Out
3. Manhatten Project
4. Chew - does his ability count as a superpower?
5. Rasputin

phansford

Concrete.

(drops the mic)

:smiley:

mwhitt80

OK is this all time top 5? Because my all time favorite comics (no restrictions) is mostly non-capes.
Here is my top 5 current non-capes:

American Vampire
Big Trouble in Little China
The Sixth Gun
Wayward
Southern Bastards

I read both Lazarus and Saga. I recognize and respect their quality/craftsmanship, and I really like both books. I enjoy reading the 5 books up there more.

Torchsong

Sure:

1) Black Lagoon
2) Yotsuba
3) A Silent Voice
4) Citrus
5) Ancient Magus Bride

Don't call it a comeback...they been here for years...

WetRats

Not ranked:

Cerebus
American Flagg
Love & Rockets
Strangers in Paradise
Sgt. Rock

Honorable mention to the Marvel B&W Planet of the Apes magazines.

hornhead

I'm also heavy on the Image:

1. Lazarus- by some margin. Fascinating work.
2. Outcast
3. Ragnarok- slow to come out, but fantastic. Eases the pain of the Conan book not doing it for me.
4. Descender
5. Walking Dead- after a lull, the past six months have picked up again quite a bit.

Honorable mentions:
American Vampire, Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw, Wytches, Rumble, Sixth Gun
All of these titles have been a bit delayed so that's dampened my enthusiasm a bit, but they are ALL excellent IMO. Image seems to be on the model where a trade's worth of issues come out, then a break, then the next trade's worth. We've had a full trade worth of Rumble, Wytches, and Autumnlands so they're on that "break" now.

I'm lagging a few issues behind on Fade Out. I love the premise but it's more a double than a home run. Good, but I'm hoping it gets better.

hauberk

My non-superhero stuff is somewhat limited at this point.

1 - Lazarus
2 - Black Science
3 - We Stand On Guard

No longer ongoing (but otherwise falling on the 3 & 4 slots

Scalped
Fables

Honorable Mention for 100 Bullets, based on where I'm at in the series. I'd put Dredd in here somewhere as well, but I'm not currently reading it.

I read Valiant stuff as well, but that's all pretty firmly super heroic in nature.

Greg

In no particular order:

Locke & Key
Rat Queens (still a young series but it's the perfect book for me. If I were to make a comic of my own this would be it)
Strangers in Paradise and everything else by Terry Moore really
Transformers: MTMTE (cheating a bit I think, not cape & tights per se but still fits in there I think. I'm picking this one because...stories about alien robots dealing with religious, gender, relationship and other issues. I still believe it's under-appreciated for it's writing)

fredzilla

*picks up mic*

SQWEEEEEeeeee

Um... Hello?

SQWEEEEEeeeee

Bone

*drops mic again*

THUNK

fredzilla

Are we talking ongoing? Current? Because if not...

Anything by Doug TenNapel
Hellboy/B.P.R.D.
Bone
Tellos
Ghostbusters

If we go beyond five (that haven't been mentioned yet):
Axe Cop
Age of Bronze
Sandman
Mouse Guard
Wild's End
Essex County
Underwater Welder

I think when I recommend books/graphic novels to read to people/students, I rarely suggest a Marvel or DC book. Especially if it is an ongoing book. I think most people are used to stand alone, complete stories, and recommending something serialized may turn them off. I know that I'm reluctant to pick something up that is mid-story, I assume most people are. Sure there are book series, like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, but even as they are a series, they still have an eventual conclusion.

Evening639

My five favorite non-superhero series I'm currently reading are (in no particular order):
1. Descender

2. Harrow County

3. Lantern City

4. A Silent Voice

5. Shutter.

WetRats

fredzilla said:

*picks up mic*

SQWEEEEEeeeee

Um... Hello?

SQWEEEEEeeeee

Bone

*drops mic again*

THUNK

I KNEW I was forgetting one.

Mr_Cosmic

Greg said:

In no particular order:

Locke & Key
Rat Queens (still a young series but it's the perfect book for me. If I were to make a comic of my own this would be it)
Strangers in Paradise and everything else by Terry Moore really
Transformers: MTMTE (cheating a bit I think, not cape & tights per se but still fits in there I think. I'm picking this one because...stories about alien robots dealing with religious, gender, relationship and other issues. I still believe it's under-appreciated for it's writing)

I loved Locke & Key!

Rider_Philze

I wasn't really impressed by the first trade of Alex + Ada. Interested, not impressed. I haven't read Chrononauts, but it's appalling that it gets a mention when Saga doesn't. And it seems to me that anybody reading comics right now has heard of those five books, so it's hard for me to think of them as "lesser-known."

My own all-time favorite non-cape comics are probably:

1.) Bone
2.) Saga
3.) Transmetropolitan
4.) Scott Pilgrim (which probably shows my age)
5.) 100 Bullets

luke52

Still being released and in no particular order...

Saga
Ghostbusters
American vampire
Nailbiter
Dark Tower series

hornhead

I'll get around to Saga soon.. the praise has been deafening. I did not enjoy Y The Last Man in my first go round with BKV, so that's why I've skipped Saga, but I may give the first trade a try digitally. Image does a great job pricing the first volume of things, so it's easier to try more of their titles.

nweathington

I'm pretty far behind on my reading, and I tend to read creator-owned books in trade more often than not, which can put me even farther behind. I've only read the first issue of Autumnlands, likewise Black Science, Lazarus, and Harrow County. I haven't read Descender yet (need to find issue #2, as I missed it somehow), haven't read Fade Out yet. I have them in my stack, but haven't gotten to them yet. So ask me again in a couple of months, and the list may be different. Also, for my own sanity, I'm only considering series that were intended (if it was ended before that point, it's fair game) to run as an ongoing series—no miniseries, no OGN series (like Scott Pilgrim), though I will count the “series of miniseries” format.

Currently ongoing, not necessarily in order (it's tough enough just picking five):

Velvet
The Stuff of Legend
Saga
Hellboy
Beasts of Burden

All-time, again not necessarily in order:

Bat Lash
Hellboy
Cerebus
Fables
Beasts of Burden

My list of honorable mentions could go two pages by itself.

Chuck_Melville

...I just can't cram all my choices into five slots...

Evening639

Anybody else been reading Effigy from Vertigo? I've been enjoying that series quite a bit. I wouldn't put it in my top 5 but I'd certainly give it an honorable mention.

phansford

fredzilla said:

*picks up mic*

SQWEEEEEeeeee

Um... Hello?

SQWEEEEEeeeee

Bone

*drops mic again*

THUNK

HAHAHAHA…. Yeah I would definitely put Bone on my list.

TheOriginalGMan

Evening639 said:

Anybody else been reading Effigy from Vertigo? I've been enjoying that series quite a bit. I wouldn't put it in my top 5 but I'd certainly give it an honorable mention.

Read the first few issues and liked it. It started getting really really weird after awhile though and I ended up giving it the boot.

kiwijase

1: Cerebus (I've just finished reading the restored version of High Society. Looking forward to the restored Church and State Vol I coming out soon).

2: Love and Rockets

3: Hicksville

4: Dharma Punks

5: Revival

mwhitt80

nweathington said:

All-time, again not necessarily in order:

Bat Lash
Hellboy
Cerebus
Fables
Beasts of Burden

My list of honorable mentions could go two pages by itself.

That's the nick cardy bat lash correct?

nweathington

mwhitt80 said:

nweathington said:

All-time, again not necessarily in order:

Bat Lash
Hellboy
Cerebus
Fables
Beasts of Burden

My list of honorable mentions could go two pages by itself.

That's the nick cardy bat lash correct?

Right in one.

mwhitt80

I absolutely love that showcase; it's one of favorite books in my collection.

I know it will never be collected in color, but man I would love to have Bat Lash (and old Jonah Hex) in a nice hard cover. I'd put it right between my Blueberry Epic reprints and the Rio hard cover.

RickM

My all-time list includes monthly comics as well as stand-alone stories:

Fables
From Hell
Maus
Kamandi
Persepolis

luke52

mwhitt80 said:

nweathington said:

All-time, again not necessarily in order:

Bat Lash
Hellboy
Cerebus
Fables
Beasts of Burden

My list of honorable mentions could go two pages by itself.

That's the nick cardy bat lash correct?

DC have a non-superhero book about one of Batmans eyelashes!!!

This I've gotta read!!!

WetRats

luke52 said:

mwhitt80 said:

nweathington said:

All-time, again not necessarily in order:

Bat Lash
Hellboy
Cerebus
Fables
Beasts of Burden

My list of honorable mentions could go two pages by itself.

That's the nick cardy bat lash correct?

DC have a non-superhero book about one of Batmans eyelashes!!!

This I've gotta read!!!

Actually, it was his little-used Bat Of 9 Tails.