Top 100 (Detailed)

200. Beautiful Darkness
Writer: Fabien Vehlmann
Artist: Kerascoët
Publisher: Dupuis
2009
2024 Rank: Unranked
"Slightly episodic in nature, Kerascoet rises to the illustrative challenge, at some points mastering the twee quality of the fairy people, while also approaching gruesome fates like deadpan punchlines to jokes that you weren’t immediately certain were being told. It’s work both playful and dark, which the team had already shown a mastery of in the Miss Don’t Touch Me and Dungeon books, but Vehlmann has provided them with a storytelling framework of a much more intense, philosophical level than either of those. Making the plight of magical people seem real and alive, helping readers see themselves in these fairies, Kerascoet’s work offers not only whimsy, but empathy, and that’s what makes Beautiful Darkness completely successful." - John Seven, The Comics Journal

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199. Haikyu!!

Writer: Haruichi Furudate

Artist: Haruichi Furudate

Publisher: Shueisha
2012-2020
2024 Rank: Unranked
"I expected Haikyu!! to be a pretty fast read, but it’s actually quite dialogue heavy. There was a story to pay attention to, instead of just absently flipping through pages watching people run across the court. There’s some good humour (and very little of it is slapstick!), and some great inspiration. It's impossible not to root for Karasuno's victory as they come together as a team. I’ll definitely be picking up volume 3, which comes out September 6th." - Jeremy Snow, The Geekly Grind

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198. Blue is the Warmest Color
Writer: Jul Maroh
Artist: Jul Maroh
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
2013
2024 Rank: 215
"I think anyone — whether they’re LGBT or not — can appreciate Maroh’s visible labor of love, and deeply relate to their tale of longing for affection and acceptance: everyone’s felt like an outcast at some point, and the theme of homophobia — casual, internalized or otherwise — is an important reminder that even places like France, the land of “liberté, égalité, [and] fraternité,” were not free from such pain a fairly short time ago. When you reach the end, you’ll imagine you have lived a lifetime with Clem and Emma, and perhaps you’ll feel the devotion they had for one another too." - Christopher Chiu-Tabet, Multiversity Comics

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197. Hark! A Vagrant
Writer: Kate Beaton
Artist: Kate Beaton
Publisher: Webcomic
2007-2018
2024 Rank: 95
"From New Yorker cartoonist Kate Beaton comes Hark! A Vagrant -- a witty and wonderful collection of comics about historical and literary figures and events, based on her popular Web comic of the same name. Scientists and artists, revolutionaries and superheroes, suffragists and presidents -- they're all there, as antique hipsters, and they're all skewered with equal parts comedic and cerebral prod." - Maria Popova, The Atlantic

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196. Fantastic Four
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
Publisher: Marvel
2009-2012
2024 Rank: 143
"In all of this Hickman takes his lead from the earliest Fantastic Four stories of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where the team were explorers and adventurers, not one of many aggregations whose primary purpose is fighting super-villains. Those villains do appear, and there’s the occasional fight, but for the most part Hickman sees the team as achieving a higher purpose, so the appearing villains are re-jigged to avoid the conflicts of the past. Richards assembles a team of youngsters from several societies and backgrounds and their purpose is the betterment of the future." - Frank Plowright, The Slings & Arrows

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195. This One Summer
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Author: Jillian Tamaki
Publisher: First Second
2014
2024 Rank: 97
"Though the themes and issues of "This One Summer" are large and emotional, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki execute the story with such precision and care that it never tips into melodramatic, instead preferring to be quiet and nuanced and thus infinitely relatable, real, and emotional. "This One Summer" is a near perfect book and an example of two creators working in such perfect sync they appear more as one creator than two." - Kelly Thompson, Comic Book Resources

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194. Starman
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Tony Harris, Peter Snejbjerg
Publisher: DC
1994-2001
2024 Rank: 133
"The term “Gen-X” comes with a lot of baggage. If nothing else, I think my little mixtape of references makes that clear. But Knight is every bit the avatar of his strafed and restless age with their sarcasm and their discontent at the world handed to them. And like any good hero, Knight brings the one thing that feels missing: hope. Hope for the clarity of good and bad that Golden Age swears it had, as well as a hope for a chance to make a bigger, better, more inclusive world than these new Dark Ages thrust upon us." - John Galati, Comic Book Herald

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193. The Wicked + The Divine
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Publisher: Image
2014-2019
2024 Rank: 87
"This is a comic that has engaged both my head and heart... This comic will always have a beloved place in my heart, and I look forward to rereading, reminiscing, and recommending it into the decades to come even as I begin to look like the characters in this issue." - Logan Dalton, Graphic Policy

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192. City Hunter
Writer: Tsukasa Hojo
Artist: Tsukasa Hojo
Publisher: Shueisha
1985-1991
2024 Rank: Unranked
"City Hunter is funny, sexy, action packed and at times just plain whacked. Whether its the art, the personalities, the stories, the comedy, the action or just the light nature of this high tension series almost everyone will find something to enjoy. This volume gives us a good dose of what really makes this series so good. You get some good action and suspense and then well there is an equal amount of comedy and Ryo just being Ryo." - Eduardo M. Chavez, Mania.com

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191. Patience
Writer: Daniel Clowes
Artist: Daniel Clowes
Publisher: Fantagraphics
2016
2024 Rank: 368
"And yet it’s impossible not to feel awe when considering Patience. The awe one feels when considering a work of tremendous ambition made in good faith by an artist at the peak of his skill. It is much safer and easier never to attempt a mighty feat of storytelling. The attempt opens the author up to the possibility of failure and renders him or her vulnerable. Clowes has never been afraid to put human motivations under a microscope or to investigate the things that make us alive. This bravery is one of the most important qualities an artist can possess." - Anya Davidson, The Comics Journal

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190. Rubrique-à-Brac
Writer: Gotlib
Artist: Gotlib
Publisher: Dargaud
1968-1972
2024 Rank: Unranked
"This series of b&w 2-page humoristic strips by French cartoonist Marcel Gotlib came to embody the ground-breaking spirit of "Pilote" in the early '70s. Sometimes bittersweet, often absurd, always hilarious, Gotlib (who also co-founded both "L'Echo des Savanes" and "Fluide Glacial") and his cutting edge work paved the way for the next generation of humor artists." - R. J. M. Lofficier - CoolFrenchComics.com

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189. Smile
Writer: Raina Telgemeier
Artist: Raina Telgemeier
Publisher: Scholastic
2010
2024 Rank: 198
"Here, then, is a story to comfort readers traversing the years between childhood and adulthood: it presents a kind of worst-case scenario with a happy ending. “Smile” understands that sometimes the horrors inside your mouth can pale in comparison with something as simple as asking a boy to a dance. Both, however, are survivable." - Elizabeth Bird, The New York Times

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188. Monstress
Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Publisher: Image
2015-Ongoing
2024 Rank: 104
"The sunny and inviting drawings I like so much feel inappropriate; the brooding and difficult drawings in Monstress provide a better fit. There’s something reassuring about their complex stillness, and the promise comics in general make that time can be separated out spatially on the page and distilled so we can inspect the movement of history. Events are moving too quickly. Comics offer to slow them down." - Min Hyoung Song, Los Angeles Book Review

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187. Once Upon a Time in France
Writer: Fabien Nury
Artist: Sylvain Vallée
Publisher: Glénat
2007-2012
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Fabien Nury’s title alone is a statement, linking his extrapolation of a wartime collaborator’s life with the cinematic triumphs of Sergio Leone, but arrogance doesn’t apply as this is a resounding triumph. It’s intelligent, humane and based on the activities of Joseph Joanovici, a Romanian Jew who arrived in France during the 1920s and rose to prominence during the German occupation of World War II... Once Upon a Time in France is a stunning read. It has a satisfying density, investigating ethical issues and grim deeds, not restricted to those with Joanovici’s involvement, yet within the format of a compelling crime thriller with utterly tragic moments." - Frank Plowright, The Slings & Arrows

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186. Fist of the North Star
Writer: Buronson
Artist: Tetsuo Hara
Publisher: Shueisha
1983-1988
2024 Rank: Unranked
"Not only does it still uphold a strong narrative and charismatic cast of crazy characters who embark on a powerful journey, but the first volume of the original series is constantly able to entertain with its pages of bloodshed and sophisticated conversations. Like the best shōnen manga that it inspired, Fist of the North Star is always embracive of its pure chaotic nature as it cracks its knuckles for a captivating first impression." - Marc Kaliroff, Goomba Stomp Magazine

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185. Boxers and Saints
Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Gene Luen Yang
Publisher: First Second
2013
2024 Rank: 134
"Yang’s artwork is delightful. Crisp, stylized…some have compared it to Hergé’s Tin Tin. It is simplified, not simple. Cartooning is often an art of reduction. Characters become icons. At the very least the artist creates a convenient visual shorthand…at best, he or she can convey—via just a few lines—the essence of what is drawn. For the reader, it’s almost like listening to radio—without a surfeit of information, you turn to the details supplied by the imagination. You recognize the symbolic drawing of Charlie Brown or Little Lulu, but you are free to create a real person in your mind. Yang renders each character distinctively, while his backgrounds are pared down to only what is necessary for the dramatic context. Nothing gets in the way of telling the story." - Pat Tong, The Arts Fuse

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184. Dykes to Watch Out For
Writer: Alison Bechdel
Artist: Alison Bechdel
Publisher: Webcomic
1983-2008
2024 Rank: 215
"I still have not come across anything that has made me feel the same as “Dykes” has. And others feel the same, many crediting it as the first time they saw themselves truly represented in media. Bechdel depicted women living together and having children, gender non-confirming dykes and more at a time when it was not half as accepted as it is today. Even though queer people still face many issues, it is easy to forget that it used to be much worse. During its publishing, Bechdel’s work reached many queer people in small towns, or that just had not come out yet, that were desperate for community. Its impact on these people alone makes it a notable piece of queer media." - Miles Madonna, The Echo Newspaper

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183. We3
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
Publisher: Vertigo
2004
2024 Rank: 146
"Children have always had violence and death in their animal stories -- Bambi, Old Yeller -- We3 just turns it up a bit. Morrison and Quitely take the realities of desensitization fully into consideration: the violence is given the flash of manga and video games, but the results of the violence are never brushed aside. The action is never amoral, or grotesque, but it's never ignored, either. Death is death, and the cruel results of a bad experiment are delivered with the even temper of a dad explaining why your dog died. It's simple enough for kids of about 10 or so to understand, so go buck wild, former comic activists. Buy a copy of the deluxe edition for your niece or nephew, and be the one to introduce them to comics, heartache, and ultra-violence." - John R. Parker, Comics Alliance

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182. The Ultimates
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Bryan Hitch
Publisher: Marvel
2002-2004
2024 Rank: 137
"Millar has an impeccable blockbuster sensibility, but it’s arguably penciller Bryan Hitch and inkers Andrew Currie and Paul Neary that provide the title’s super serum. There’s an abundance of widescreen frames and a sweeping use of camera work. All of the characters are depicted as if they could actually exist in the real world (many of them in fact look like actors from the real world) and Hitch’s unswerving sense of detail is masterful. The architecture on display is astonishing in terms of detail, and clearly no one can draw rubble quite like Hitch can." - Jack Kibble-White, The Slings & Arrows

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181. The Boys
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Darick Robertson
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
2006-2012
2024 Rank: 440
"Typical of Garth Ennis’s style, the writing is large, precise, and excessive. If you are familiar with Preacher, you will be familiar with his style. The Boys is a challenging series. It is full of sex and violence to the extremes. If this bothers you, maybe look for something from a different author. But for me, this severity and excessiveness are part of its charm. Superheroes are maniacs at their core. This book acts on the extremes of superheroes with extreme characters in retaliation. Who else could keep superheroes in check than people with nothing to lose except their own moral code?" - Elizabeth Tabler, Grimdark Magazine

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180. Blast
Writer: Manu Larcenet
Artist: Manu Larcenet
Publisher: Dargaud
2009-2014
2024 Rank: Unranked
"This is the first four or more issue mini-series I’ve reviewed every book in.  The book is just that good.  It is in no way safe for the kids, and only gets worse as the story goes along. Sex, drugs, language, nudity, etc.  This book has them all. I’d understand if you skipped it for that reason. But if you like crime books like what Ed Brubaker or Brian Bendis might write, you may like this book.  If you can handle unpleasant people doing unpleasant things, this book can satisfy.  It’s like the HBO version of a network drama. This is Manu Larcenet’s self-proclaimed masterpiece, and it’s a title he earned." - Augie De Blieck Jr, Pipeline Comics

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179. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Writer: Guy Delisle
Artist: Guy Delisle
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
2003
2024 Rank: 165
"Like the best observational writing, Pyongyang is simultaneously a work of non-fiction and a fish-out-of-water story. It’s cartoonish style allows for an entire extra level of play to both document the artist’s escapades and comment on his circumstances. Delisle’s greytone style is captivatingly simple, rendering people as abstract caricatures (himself appearing as bit of a beak-nosed Fred Flintstone) and reserving careful detail for inanimate objects – buildings, clothes, buses, guns, etc. The message is that the city is more real than its citizens. And though Delisle worries for the North Korean people, detecting the “mute, hidden terror” underlying the “thin veneer of their smiles,” he opts for affable subversion (joking with his humourless translator, lending his guide a copy of Orwell’s 1984) rather than making outright judgements." - Gary Butler, Quill & Quire

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178. Mouse Guard
Writer: David Petersen
Artist: David Petersen
Publisher: Archaia Studios Press
2006-Ongoing
2024 Rank: 131
Petersen spends much of the first volume introducing us to both his world and his characters. His protagonists here are a trio of mice warriors, members of the vaunted Mouse Guard. The Guard's purpose is to protect the commoner by keeping the roads safe and maintain peace between the very different (and fairly isolated) towns. Because so much of the volume is taken up with story-setting and world-building, it takes a little while for the main story to really get rolling. Once it does, however, Petersen's attention to his characters and their motivations and abilities is pushed even farther to the fore." - Seth T. Hahne, GoodOkBad

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177. Doraemon
Writer: Fujiko F. Fujio
Artist: Fujiko F. Fujio
Publisher: Shogakukan
1969-1996
2024 Rank: Unranked
"Doraemon's journey from a manga character to a national idol of Japan is a testament to its profound cultural impact. The character has shaped popular culture, influenced education, and served as a symbol of Japanese innovation and values. As a tool of soft power, Doraemon has helped promote a positive image of Japan globally. The enduring popularity and adaptability of Doraemon ensure that it will continue to be a beloved and influential figure in Japanese culture and beyond." - Prof. Dr. Hishamuddin Md. Som, Takshila Journal of Research, Vol 1 No 1 (July-Sep 2024)

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176. The New Teen Titans
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Pérez
Publisher: DC
1980-1984
2024 Rank: 43
"They weren’t like Superman or Batman fighting criminals and saving the world ten times over. They were just some teenagers that had grown up together and were struggling finding their voice and identity. This is the heart of the series and why I love reading this run... Wolfman and Perez just created this tightly knit team of friends and then focused on creating a superhero comic." - Wyatt Barczak, SeppinRek

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175. Black Jack
Writer: Osamu Tezuka
Artist: Osamu Tezuka
Publisher: Akita Shoten
1973-1983
2024 Rank: Unranked
"Ostensibly a medical drama, Black Jack actually permits Tezuka to explore a variety of genres—science fiction, mystery/suspense, social drama, romance, and horror. Throughout, Black Jack himself remains largely aloof. In this respect, the episodes recall British secret agent TV series of the ‘60s, in which half the fun was seeing a new crop of colorful characters interact with our coolly detached loner. Like Gregory House, Black Jack’s superior intellect and lack of a personal life put him very much in the Sherlock Holmes mold—a vaguely misanthropic, vaguely de-ranged genius working on society’s fringes. Join him or miss out on the fun." - Peter Gutiérrez, Foreword Reviews

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174. Pride of Baghdad
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Niko Henrichon
Publisher: Vertigo
2006
2024 Rank: 156
"More than just a moving anthropomorphic story about a quartet of lions trying to survive in a horrifically unfamiliar world, Pride of Baghdad is primarily an allegorical tale featuring several conflicting viewpoints of the Iraqi war.  Through the eyes of the different characters, Vaughn and Henrichon examine the contentious war from all sides, never espousing one philosophical approach as ‘correct’. In fact, they only really reach a consensus about the fact that death is the only thing that’s truly guaranteed in conflicts like these." - Craig Neilson-Adams, BigComicPage

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173. Peter Pan
Writer: Régis Loisel
Artist: Régis Loisel
Publisher: Vents d'Ouest
1990-2004
2024 Rank: Unranked
"This is, at its heart, a very personal Peter Pan. While Loisel is indeed one of the most renowned and influential comic artists in France – his work, alongside Moebius and others, helped set the stylistic standards of the modern bandes dessinée – it is rare that he produces projects where he acts as both writer and artist." - Laura Sneddon, The Comics Beat

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172. Bitch Planet
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist: Valentine De Landro
Publisher: Image
2014-2017
2024 Rank: 172
"This series is an outstanding portrayal of patriarchal expectations of women, and how easily could all rights crumble if a group like these ‘Fathers’ emerged to power. The link with the Purge here is also apparent but not less relevant. Taking someone’s liberty and the right to personality is equal to purging them. While this collection was labelled as exaggerated when it was first published, with latest events I think that the authors are spot on and all of us have to be careful who we vote for and make sure we do vote and actively take action against misogyny in politics. I am absolutely sick of the fact I need to talk about this in the year 2019, but sadly we do." - Dr. Martina Topić-Rutherford, Martinatopic.com

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171. Old Man Logan
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Steve McNiven
Publisher: Marvel
2008-2009
2024 Rank: 485
"There’s an enthusiastic “won’t this be cool?” at the heart of Old Man Logan, and it may well be that this attitude explains the story’s popularity. Wouldn’t it be cool if the Venom symbiote bonded with a Savage Land dinosaur? Yes, that would be cool. Wouldn’t it be cool if Wolverine and Hawkeye drove across America in a Spider-Buggy? Surprisingly, yes, even without Matt Fraction writing. Wouldn’t it be cool if the worst things that could happen actually did happen for once? Sure, but let’s not make a habit of it. For some comic readers, Millar’s focus on 'cool sh*t going down' will be more than enough reason to put this book at the top of their to-read list." - Ryan Skardal, Fantasy Lititerature

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170. Worlds of Aldebaran
Wrtier: Léo
Artist: Léo
Publisher: Dargaud
1994-Ongoing
2024 Rank: Unranked
"After more than a quarter of a century and twenty-four albums published, Léo's series has become a classic of Franco-Belgian comics. The author tells us about the challenges that humanity is trying to overcome to conquer new territories, but he does so by focusing on a handful of strong characters, who experience numerous adventures rich in twists and turns, settings, and strange creatures. His realistic but unadorned drawing is one of the components of the series' success. The Worlds of Aldebaran is a terribly endearing series. Although it has sometimes fallen into certain pitfalls, it always remains fascinating and rich in emotion. Deeply humanist science fiction." - Christian Missia Dio, ActuaBD (translated from French)

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169. Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow?
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Curt Swan
Publisher: DC
1986
2024 Rank: 42
"‘Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?’ is a fantastic celebration of the previous fifty years of Superman, especially the the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It works because Moore recognized that elements such as Bizarro and Krypto the Superdog weren’t impediments to readers believing in Superman – rather, they were important parts of the series’ charm. Freed of any considerations of consequences for continuity, Moore’s able to introduce some quite radical occurrences, and a number of characters, both allies and enemies... everything is handled with dignity." - Tony Keen, The Slings & Arrows

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168. Elfquest
Writer: Wendy Pini, Richard Pini
Artist: Wendy Pini
Publisher: WaRP Graphics
1978-Ongoing
2024 Rank: 147
"All this accounted for, at its heart Elfquest is a familial saga about love, platonic or romantic, blood-related or found, and the urge to cultivate a sense of belonging among those who are like you. It’s an important piece of indie comics’ journey to prominence, as well as the journey one takes through youth and into adulthood. Even if you’re not a teenager when you first read it, Elfquest takes you by the hand and shows you a world where maturity mingles with imagination, and that the two can work together if you’ve got a little wolf in your blood." - Max Sisco, AIPT

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167. Essex County
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
2008-2011
2024 Rank: 100
"It's a deeply satisfying emotional experience that naturalistically captures the lives of three intersecting generations of residents of a small country area. The book that keeps breaking your heart in deeply satisfying ways " - Jason Sacks, Comics Bulletin

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166. Death: The High Cost of Living
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: Chris Bachalo
Publisher: Vertigo
1993
2024 Rank: 117
"Something that makes THE HIGH COST an interesting artefact for younger readers to take note of is that it features Chris Bachalo's art at its best. You can actually understand what's happening, with beautifully realised characters and locations. People appear natural, with all the shapes and sizes that we really come in. The art captures the bright and shadowy streets of New York at night just as easily as the grit and grime of a basement containing a dead body and boxes of junk." - Ben Wooller, Ninth Art

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165. De cape et de crocs
Writer: Alain Ayroles
Artist: Jean-Luc Masbou
Publisher: Délcourt
1995-2016
2024 Rank: Unranked
"This series has a lot of charm. Jean-Luc Masbou infuses his settings with poetry and enjoys adding little impromptu details here and there that are sure to make readers smile... Alain Ayroles plays on the physical appearance of his characters to deepen their personalities or adapt their way of speaking... Action, fantasy, humor, and other captivating situations are all present. A true work of art! With each album, the De Capes et de Crocs series is increasingly establishing itself as a classic." - Nicolas Anspach, ActuaBD (translated from French)

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164. Captain America
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Publisher: Marvel
2005-2009
2024 Rank: 79
"It’s a clever and well-crafted story that demonstrates that Brubaker has more in him than just gritty pulp like his fantastic runs on Daredevil and Gotham Central... In the meantime, it’s a solid, nostalgic and clever use of an iconic character to tell a good story, with more than a little intelligent subtext going on underneath." - Darren Mooney, The Movie Blog

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163. Battle Angel Alita
Writer: Yukito Kishiro
ARtist: Yukito Kishiro
Publisher: Shueisha
1990-1995
2024 Rank: Unranked
"What draws you into a story? What makes a tale a page-turner, going from just ‘an interesting read’ to a journey across another world? Well, individual results may vary, but for me, it’s a riveting story, nuanced characters, and deep world-building, packaged in a genre that is at once sombre and darkly-toned, and also technological and gritty. It’s one of those rare diamonds in the rough, a story that speaks to your soul while it feeds your mind and piques your imagination. And no other story has done this for me like the manga Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita." - Ray, Comic Watch

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162. American Splendor
Writer: Harvey Pekar
Artist: Various
Publisher: Self-Published
1976-2008
2024 Rank: 128
"The few autobiographical comics before 1976 were certainly nothing like the material written by Harvey Pekar. Most autobiography inflates, but he took the opposite approach, relentlessly focussing on the mundane, the day to day conversation or overheard quip, and his own frustrated existence. This was all presented as realistically as possible, but while eventually incalculably influential, for a decade or so Pekar ploughed a unique furrow." - Karl Verhoven, The Sling & Arrows

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161. Conan the Barbarian
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema
Publisher: Marvel Comics
1970-1993
2024 Rank: Unranked
"But in the end, the greatest triumph belongs to Barry Windsor-Smith.  It’s still rather astonishing to look at this comic and realize that it was drawn by the same artist who, just three years before, had been dismissed by many fans as an amateurish Kirby wannabe.  With Conan, however — even more so than with the somewhat similarly exotic Ka-Zar — the artist had finally found a setting where he could fully explore and indulge the inspiration he’d found in such non-comics sources as Art Nouveau and the Pre-Raphaelite painters. And he was only going to get better." - Alan Stewart, Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books

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160. 100 Bullets
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: Vertigo
1999-2009
2024 Rank: 86
"What more can I say? Do yourself a favor and pick this up. You'll be amazed at what you can do in this storytelling medium. It is indeed different and unique. Nothing like you have ever read before. It may just be the greatest book published right now. Read and enjoy and tell me what you think." - Richard Frankel, Comics Bulletin

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159. Thimble Theater
Writer: E. C. Segar
Artist: E. C. Segar
Publisher: Various
1919-1938
2024 Rank: 276
"An engrossing, essential chunk of comics, Thimble Theatre is alive and outspoken. Despite almost a century’s remove, these late 1920s narratives captivate us with their earthy humor, witty dialogue and delightful cartooning. Curating and presenting these overlooked and neglected works is Sunday Press’s stock in trade, and I hope they continue it for many years to come." - Frank M. Young, The Comics Journal

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158. Ultimate Spider-Man
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mark Bagley
Publisher: Marvel Comics
2000-2011
2024 Rank: 89
"Bagley has a wonderful sense of pacing – perfectly creating a dramatic rhythm to his stories. He’s an artist capable of going large or going small, depending on what the situation calls for. His vaguely cartoonish style allows his characters to be tremendously expressive, both physically and emotionally, and it’s hard to imagine what the book would have looked like in the hands of another artist" - Darren Mooney, The Movie Blog

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157. Animal Man
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chaz Truog
Publisher: DC Comics
1988-1990
2024 Rank: 68
"Animal Man asks a lot of great questions if you let it, but beyond that, it’s just a great superhero book. Buddy is a fun character to spend time with, and his family is great. There’s a lot of action and drama and the mind-bending stuff that Morrison does so well. For my money, it’s one of those seminal comics works that anyone who is really serious about studying the medium should read." - David Harth, YouDontReadComics.com

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156. The Quest for the Time Bird
Writer: Serge Le Tendre
Artist: Régis Loisel
Publisher: Dargaud
1983-1989
2024 Rank: Unranked
"The Quest for the Time Bird is a high fantasy epic that is done so well, it is clear that it belonged in comic format... The characters are equally well developed, each having their own time to shine. The artwork is nothing short of spectacular for this particular adventure, and the artist created the correct sense of nostalgia when creating this series. Although this is a fantasy tale, there are many humours moments throughout the tale which add to the comical feel of the artwork... Titan Comics have realised that this series is a cult classic, and have created a worthy collection that fans will be eager to add to the collection. Easily Titan Comics best collected graphic novel of 2015. A fun and comical adventure that has stood the test of time." - Andrew Musk, Starburt Magazine

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155. X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Brent Anderson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
1982
2024 Rank: 49
"Reading this story in 2016 was surreal, because it actually feels more relevant than ever. The book seems like a cautionary tale about our country’s current political climate—or perhaps, the globe’s political climate—and yet it’s 34 years old. Prejudice towards an outcast minority, fear mongering by a conservative icon, the leveraging of religion to gain political power, casual bigotry boiling to surface and suddenly becoming a focal point of public discourse—the echoes to today’s reality are dishearteningly apt." - Lucas Kelleher, Kelleher Bros

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154. Superman: Red Son
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics
2003
2024 Rank: 59
"Not only does this ending really bring home the ironies inherent in the elseworlds concepts, but it is clever and engaging. It made me happy... It took a while to get here, but it’s here at last. From its creepy-as-Hell cover to the final surprise of the conclusion, this is a solid read. Millar and Plunkett and rest of the team did themselves proud." - Paul Brian McCoy - Comics Bulletin

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153. The Airtight Garage
Writer: Moebius
Artist: Moebius
Publisher: Les Humanoïdes Associés
1976-1979
2024 Rank: 516
An ideal read for teens of a mystical turn, The Airtight Garage is a wonderful evocation of the mind-bending notions of 1960s philosophy, and a beautiful, compelling series of images that engages with the reader in a way that is very different to most comic books. Inspired by a lack of self-imposed boundaries, Moebius achieves probably the finest artwork of his career in this volume." - Fiona Jerome, The Slings & Arrows

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152. Yotsuba&!
Writer: Kiyohiko Azuma
Artist: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: ASCII Media Works
2003-Ongoing
2024 Rank: 173
"Again, my descriptions can only serve as a diminishment to what pleasures are actually found in the book. I am entirely out of my depth to sound out Yotsuba&!'s charms, but perhaps we should just leave it at this: whenever a new volume arrives in the mail, I curl up comfortably with my wife, finding the best lighting possible under such snuggly conditions, and I read each chapter to her aloud, trying to muster in my own voice the clear enthusiasm in Yotsuba's own." - Seth T. Hahne, GoodOkBad

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151. The Nao of Brown
Writer: Glyn Dillon
Artist: Glyn Dillon
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
2012
2024 Rank: 118
"Glyn Dillon's return to comics after several years doing storyboards for movies and TV marks the first long-form comic he's ever written, and it's clearly a labor of love. It's a bit all over the place in an agreeable fashion. It's part character study, part romance comic, part disease comic, and part fantasy comic. At times, he shows great restraint in his storytelling and at other points he lays things on thick. What is consistent is page after page of loosely rendered, expressive, and beautifully colored art. His figure drawing is simply exquisite, and many pages of the story are carried by a simple arch of the eyebrow or nod of the head of the story's protagonist. His attention to body language, gesture, and the ways in which people interact with each other in space near Jaime Hernandez-levels of sophistication." - Rob Clough, The Comics Journal

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150. Fourth World
Writer: Jack Kirby
Artist: Jack Kirby
Publisher: DC Comics
1970-1973
2023 Rank: 240
"But thematically, Kirby is tremendously concerned with science fiction, but not just in a purple-guy-called-Galactus-is-here-to-eat-your-planet. He’s mythologically interested in advanced societies, how they get along, and how they can be exaggerated dramatically to comment on things like propaganda, interrogation, brain-washing, tent preachers, youth and adults, totalitarian state techniques, first contact with aliens, evolution (both directed and non-directed), and the overarching myths, both the ones his readers know about and the ones he’s inventing." - Derek Kunsken, Black Gate

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149. The Arrival
Writer: Shaun Tan
Artist: Shaun Tan
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
2006
2023 Rank: 166
"The effect is mesmerizing. Reading “The Arrival” feels like paging through a family treasure newly discovered up in the attic. However, the sheer beauty of Tan’s artwork sometimes gets in the way of his narrative. His panels, like the best photographs, capture the timelessness of particular moments, which can inadvertently endanger the illusion of time passing that a graphic novelist strives to create. “The Arrival” would almost rather be looked at than read. Still, that his biggest flaw is making his pictures too pretty speaks to Tan’s skill as a storyteller." - Gene Luen Yang, The New York Times

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148. Punk Rock Jesus
Writer: Sean Murphy
Artist: Sean Murphy
Publisher: Vertigo
2012-2013
2023 Rank: 248
"There is much more to the story, of course, including the ultimate fallout of Chris breaking away from the show and becoming an atheist punk rocker (not a real spoiler since that is sort of the premise), but the details are best left for you to discover for yourself. The main thing is that this is a very good comic that is even more impressive than it seems because, from what I’ve heard, this is the first time Sean Murphy has written anything before. If that is the case, then I do look forward to more work so I can see him grow as a writer because he has delivered one of the better mini-series I’ve read with Punk Rock Jesus." - Jordan Richards, AIPT

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147. Universal War One
Writer: Denis Bajram
Artist: Denis Bajram
Publisher: Soleil
1998-2006
2023 Rank: Unranked
"In this sense, it’s reminiscent of Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica, both in style and quality. I don’t make such a comparison lightly, either. Battlestar Galactica is, in my opinion, the best science-fiction series in history. But the first five volumes of UW1 deserve a spot alongside it for it’s originality, characterization, and interesting plot... Denis Bajram has crafted a science-fiction masterpiece. Featuring many unique concepts, excellent characterization, and unique uses of sci-fi conventions, UW1 distinguishes itself as arguably the best graphic novel of it’s kind, and certainly the most unique." - Charles Cox, Bounding Into Comics

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146. Frontline Combat/Two-Fisted Tales
Writer: Harvey Kurtzman
Artist: Various
Publisher: EC Comics
1950-1955
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Unlike other magazines of the day, no one could accuse Two-Fisted Tales of being wartime propaganda. On the contrary, the magazine was a brutally honest look at battles and wars throughout history. Kurtzman, who had been drafted in 1942, knew warfare firsthand, and he was outraged by the gung-ho war comics that made war look like a glorious thing. In his stories, there were no heroes—just soldiers trapped in situations beyond their control. Often, his stories weren't about soldiers at all, focusing instead on the lives of innocent people scarred by war." - Mitchell Brown, Tales to Astonish

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145. Black Hammer
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Dean Ormston
Publisher: Dark Horse
2016-2024
2023 Rank: 368
I want to pause a second so I can find the right words here...I fucking love this comic!!!  Pardon my French, but I was not expecting this issue to be this good!  Jeff Lemire throws together a mix of indie, sci-fi, silver and golden age comic book craziness and I loved it more with every page turn.  I am not just saying this, but this story seems like the next big thing to me and if it isn't, it still will be to me. It is that good.  My two regrets are that the next issue is months away and because this is an advance review, I even have to wait a month to talk to anyone about this issue." - Jim Werner, Weird Science DC Comics

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144. Chew
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory
Publisher: Image
2009-2016
2023 Rank: 119
"In terms of art, Dan Boultwood provides visuals that work in perfect tandem with Layman’s writing. It provides semi-cartoony visualization while still maintaining a world that has bloody violence and mature language, the art adds a sense of humor to a world built for a mature audience. Boultwood manages to craft a living energy into each one of the characters and  within this world, whether it be a knife-throwing Frankenstein-styled monster or a group of gangsters that end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can be anything from vomit to fantastic character designs, this book really showcases Boultwood’s impressive artistic range. A phenomenal book in every sense of the word." - Gabe Gonzalez, Comics Bookcase

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143. Astro Boy
Writer: Osamu Tezuka
Artist: Osamu Tezuka
Publisher: Kobunsha
1952-1968
2023 Rank: 276
"This extra-large collection of philosophy, villainous scientists, futuristic gadgetry, ethical problems and giant robot battles is an excellent introduction to Astro Boy. Osamu Tezuka is a great storyteller, crafting tales full of incident and cliffhangers. He manages to inject quite a lot of emotion into his stories even though the plots can be completely bizarre, and Astro himself is a blend of heroic determination and righteous innocence that can really make you care about what happens to him. This volume is perfect for anyone curious about the origins of modern manga or just interested in great comics." - Woodrow Phoenix, The Slings & Arrows

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142. Fruits Basket
Writer: Natsuki Takaya
Artist: Natsuki Takaya
Publisher: TokyoPop
1998-2006
2023 Rank: 276
"Natsuki Takaya’s characters are so dynamic and real. Each has a distinct personality and their growth throughout the story is unique to themselves. Tohru is such a catalyst of change for the members of the zodiac who were already so closely bonded. Her genuine demeanor is something each character needed to come to the realizations they do. It’s a hard road to get to those realizations... You come to really love all of the characters. It’s surprising, it’s sad, it’s everything you want from well-crafted characters." - Christina, The Bookshelf Corner

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141. Rurouni Kenshin
Writer: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Artist: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Publisher: Shueisha
1994-1999
2023 Rank: Unranked
"When released as a shōnen manga in 1994, at the height of what would be later labelled “the lost decade”, Rurouni Kenshin turned quickly into a cultural phenomenon, carrying the weight of being an undisputed inter-generational icon, which transports beyond political borders its local message strongly infused with ethnocentric undertones of resistance, empowerment and liberation." - Maria Garjdian, CROSS-MEDIALITY AND THE INVINCIBILITY OF VULNERABILITY: THE RUROUNI KENSHIN PHENOMENON

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140. Batman
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo
Publisher: DC Comics
2012-2016
2023 Rank: 72
"Snyder and Capullo also put their unique seal on the Bat-mythology by expanding not just on the history of the characters, but on the history Gotham... Quintessential storytelling. Quintessential artwork. Quintessential Batman." - Mike McG, Never Ending Radical Dude

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139. The Infinity Gauntlet
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: George Pérez, Ron Lim
Publisher: Marvel Comics
1991
2023 Rank: 51
"While The Infinity Gauntlet leaves readers with a return to the status quo – of sorts – there is no doubt that the ride was a hoot. An advantage of the divinity contained within the Gauntlet is the ability to reset that status quo... In looking back and re-reading Infinity Gauntlet for the umteenth time, I was just happy to have been given the excuse to enjoy a fun piece of art once again." - Robert Queen, robwqueen.com

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138. YuYu Hakusho
Writer: Yoshihiro Togashi
Artist: Yoshihiro Togashi
Publisher: Shueisha
1990-1994
2023 Rank: Unranked
"The art of YuYu is really interesting. Most of the character designs for supporting characters tend to have more detail than those of main characters, but facial expressions and the transition from regular to SD versions is very good. YuYu relies a bit on its sight gags and with some weird faces making funny faces you really get a good share of laughs from the art as well as the writing. Backgrounds can be pretty detailed at times which really helps out the already complex but easy to follow layout. Lots out of panel characters, varied panel sizes and interesting perspective made for a fun experience." - Eduardo M. Chavez, Mania

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137. Uzumaki
Writer: Junji Ito
Artist: Junji Ito
Publisher: Viz Media
1998-1999
2023 Rank: 250
"This is one of the best horror manga I've ever read. Ito does a wonderful job of portraying that which is truly disturbing. Not only is there plenty of gore, Uzumaki really messes with your mind as it twists it around and through the stories. Using an uzumaki to give the curse some form was ingenious as spirals are rather hypnotic anyway. The art itself is wonderfully done. It alone can frighten the reader at times as it has a sense of being "real" about it. You really feel sorry for some of the cursed, but at the same time you shudder to think about what's happening in this town. The stories of the various possessions are not only unique but unusual; they are things one would not normally think of which will keep you coming back for more." - Sheena McNeil, Sequential Tart

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136. Mister Miracle
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Mitch Gerads
Publisher: DC Comics
2017-2018
2023 Rank: 121
"Mister Miracle is a rare book. It’s a team of creatives working at their absolute pinnacle, delivering the work of their careers. We live in a strange climate and there are a great many titles grappling with that. But few books capture the feeling of living in our bizarre times, where in we feel trapped, where there is no escape and the world seems to have gone crazy. Everything is…off and not what it’s supposed to be and anxiety, depression and fear are all that seem to remain. Darkseid Is. But then, that doesn’t mean we simply give up, does it? We have to go on, we must continue living and face all that comes at us. We must stand. And Scott Free is here to show us we can." - Ritesh Babu, AIPT

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135. Valérian and Laureline
Writer: Pierre Christin
Artist: Jean-Claude Mézières
Publisher: Dargaud
1967-2010
2023 Rank: Unranked
"The series walks in the footsteps of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and their contemporaries, making wide use of similarly veiled environmental, political and social allegories, and was hugely successful, at least in Europe, and remains widely regarded as a classic piece of science fiction... In terms of raw visual influence on fantasy and science fiction, it’s hard to not talk extensively about the contributions of Mézières and his work on in particular Valérian and Laureline, as well as his friend Jean Giraud AKA Moebius, and his work. Their combined influence is frankly impossible to overstate, and in terms of film their reach is equally impressive, to this day." - Michael Heilemann, Kitbashed

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134. The Punisher
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Laurence Campbell
Publisher: Marvel Comics
2004-2009
2023 Rank: 88
"I can't say enough about Garth Ennis' run on Punisher MAX. For my money, it's the best work that's ever been done with the character." - Dan Phillips, IGN

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133. Green Lantern
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics
2005-2013
2023 Rank: 135
"I love Doug Mahnke’s work on the title. The artist is a true find, and one whose work brings a lovely consistency to the book. His characters and constructs are all well-defined, and he has a great eye for action (which is essential for a book like this)... I love it when a title can keep a consistent artist, and Mahnke is the kind of find it’s great to have on a high-profile book like this. I hope he keeps it up." - Darren Mooney, The Movie Blog

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132. Parasyte
Writer: Hitoshi Iwaaki
Artist: Hitoshi Iwaaki
Publisher: Kodansha
1988-1995
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Parasyte prompts us to reflect on contemporary human and non-human interactions. It challenges the notion of 'impurity' often associated with certain species. Through its diverse storytelling across multiple media, Parasyte facilitates a nuanced dialogue between humans and parasites. The conversations between Migi and Shinichi serve as a metaphorical public sphere, highlighting overlooked ideas from 'impure' species. This narrative mirrors the need for a more inclusive approach to practice cross-species interaction." - Shao-Jie Jhou, PhD., Fantasy/Animation

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131. Cages
Writer: Dave McKean
Artist: Dave McKean
Publisher: Tundra Publishing
1990-1996
2023 Rank: 174
"I have about a thousand words to use up in this review, but, really, I only need twelve. CAGES is quite possibly the finest example of what comics can achieve. And now, of course, I have to try and back this statement up. Which is hard. The problem is that CAGES is difficult to describe. It's an artefact, quite literally a thing made by art. A love story. It's about creativity and what drives us. It's a philosophical debate about the divine. No, no, that'll be sure to turn people off. It's... about cats." - Ben Wooller, The Ninth Art

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130. Great Teacher Onizuka
Writer: Toru Fujisawa
Artist: Toru Fujisawa
Publisher: Kodansha
1997-2002
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Great Teacher Onizuka made me laugh, it had me gasping with incredulity, it made me come up with excuses to avoid work just so I could tear through the twenty-five volumes as soon as I could... But even with all its over-the-top antics, it’s not just a fine comedy series, but also a drama that’s an indictment of the pettiness that afflicts today’s education system. It’s a scathing denouncement of self-serving, vainglorious modern-day teachers for whom teaching is nothing more than a way to make money, rather than the life-altering position it is meant to be. Hey, it made me want to go back to school, and that’s quite something!" - Satya Chetri, Rolling Stone

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129. Fear Agent
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Tony Moore, Jerome Opeña
Publisher: Dark Horse
2005-2011
2023 Rank: 158
"Fear Agent is a series that never stops hammering you while you’re down. The protagonist, Heath Huston, is put through a devil of a ringer by Remender, that’s for sure. Every time it seems like he may finally score a victory and come up aces, something rotten manages to rear its head (including one particularly deflating moment in the latter issues of the series) to drag him back down to earth. And every time you think he’s faced the worst odds or the worst defeats a man can endure… the bottom falls out and everything gets bleaker. If there’s one certainty about this series, it’s that it keeps punching you in the gut, over and over. It happens in such a way—sometimes out of absolute nowhere—that you don’t ever even go numb to it." - Robert Stewart, SWO Productions

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128. Safe Area Goražde
Writer: Joe Sacco
Artist: Joe Sacco
Publisher: Fantagraphics
2000
2023 Rank: 112
"I know of no better way of describing how Bosnia felt in the immediate aftermath of the war. None of the disappointments of the postwar period can quell the grateful sense, known to everyone who lived through the conflict, of how miraculous it is that places like Gorazde and Sarajevo survived at all. This Sacco captures as no foreigner has captured it before." - David Rieff, The New York Times

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127. Thorgal
Writer: Jean Van Hamme
Artist: Grzegorz Rosiński
Publisher: Le Lombard
1977-Ongoing
2023 Rank: 112
"Despite excellent craft, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the four volumes I’ve reviewed: Child of the Stars, The Three Elders of Aran, Beyond the Shadows, and The Archers, all Cinebook translations. Traditional action-fantasy comics underwhelm me, and everything—the name, the titles, the character designs—shouts “I’m gonna be a boring fantasy comic.” As it turns out, Thorgal isn’t what I expected. It was for a second, but went completely off the rails. When Thorgal goes off the rails, it becomes a driving folk metal song in pictoral form, like a Heavy Metal series without the spikes and pornography. It feels great." - Tish Doolin, Women Write About Comics

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126. Detective Conan
Writer: Gosho Aoyama
Artist: Gosho Aoyama
Publisher: Shogakukan
1994-Ongoing
2023 Rank: Unranked
"I enjoyed this series a lot for the artwork, which seemed to be a throwback to the manga and anime I grew up with. As manga evolves, and we begin to see more and more of it released in America, we're discovering the many different styles that fall under the heading of manga. Before the recent manga explosion, however, most of the anime and manga we saw on this side of the Pacific had a distinctive look that this book quickly recalls. While the stories themselves are not all that old, it was still fun to see artwork that reflects the things that brought me onboard the manga train in the first place." - A.E. Sparrow, IGN

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125. Die Laughing
Writer: André Franquin
Artist: André Franquin
Publisher: Dupuis
1981-1983
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Franquin’s art in his career already made a dramatic shift, from the atomic style of the 50s to the Marcinelle School style of the 1960s that he’s best known for.  The work in 'Die Laughing' is a mutation of that latter style to an extreme. Underneath it all, you’ll see Franquin’s usual collection of idiosyncratic tricks, but on top of it all is a whole new inking style that transforms the art to a new level. It’s not something that would work for many books, but it perfectly fits the tone of the material it’s being used for. " - Augie De Blieck Jr., Pipeline Comics

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124. Vinland Saga
Writer: Makoto Yukimura
Artist: Makoto Yukimura
Publisher: Kodansha
2005-Ongoing
2023 Rank: 232
"I’ve been reading and reviewing Vinland Saga for just over four years, and have loved the epic Makoto Yukimura is telling. It started as a brutal look at the violent and ruthless nature of war among Vikings and has turned into an epic journey to find a land where war is no longer a reality. The nature of the manga has changed over time, especially for the leading character Thorfinn as he went from ultra-warrior looking for revenge to a man who refuses to take another life, but there are still specialized warriors floating about and fight scenes to enjoy. This story has taken many surprising turns, and in this 11th volume a much more focused look at death, the afterlife, and a single battle changing everything takes place. Without a doubt, this may be the most focused and efficient volume yet." - David Brooke, AIPT

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123. East of West
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Publisher: Image
2013-2019
2023 Rank:  90
"A spectacular comic to end the series, the year, and even the decade. East of West has been a prime example of perfect storytelling and this ending proves why this creative team are one of the best working in the business today." - Darryll Robson, Monkeys Fighting Robots

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122. Daredevil
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Publisher: Marvel Comics
2001-2006
2023 Rank:  120
"The story is just incredible, every story arc is a masterwork. Bendis took Daredevil to places it had never been or explored while staying true to the character and to Frank Miller’s revolutionary run. There are a lot of great street level stories with fantastic characters who you can cherish for a lifetime. For my money, this run on DD is absolutely top of the pile. You will not be disappointed in the story. It is Bendis’ best work and it is what makes him one of my favorite writers. Even among Miller and Brubaker’s run (also easily among their best work), it shines brightly. It is character defining for every major Daredevil character, in a really good way." - Matt A., Comics Ledger

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121. Berlin
Writer: Jason Lutes
Artist: Jason Lutes
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
1996-2018
2023 Rank: 80
"Irregularly published since 1996, Berlin is Lutes' long-in-production, multi-volume story of Weimar Berlin from 1928 to the dawn of the Nazi era. It was originally slated for 24 issues; by issue 18, its slow march toward some sort of conclusion felt damn near interminable. Then you pick up one of the two collections published to date — and suddenly, this interweaving tale of politics and problems seems worth the wait." - Joe Gross, Rolling Stone

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120. Lanfeust of Troy
Writer: Christophe Arleston
Artist: Didio Tarquin
Publisher: Soleil
1994-2000
2023 Rank: Unranked
"When the French public found out about Lanfeust de Troy in 1994, they discovered a fresh, funny and innovative look at fantasy, a world where Asterix visited The Lord of the Rings. The work of a screenwriter Christophe Arleston, and a designer Didier Tarquin. After millions of albums sold, it's no exaggeration to say that Lanfeust of Troy was the driving force behind a return to favor of fantasy comics in France." - Frédérick Sigrist, RadioFrance

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119. It's A Good Life, If You Don't Weaken
Writer: Seth
Artist: Seth
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
1993-1996
2023 Rank: 142
"It’s a Good Life if you Don’t Weaken is an interesting experiment in several ways, presented as autobiographical, yet possibly entirely fictional and even after all these years still the best example of the unreliable narrator in comics. It worked so well when originally serialised in the 1990s because Seth had already established his autobiographical avatar in other strips, an artist obsessed with the styles of the past, particularly the creators of classic newspaper strips and cartoons." - Karl Verhoven. The Slings & Arrows

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118. MAD Magazine
Writer: Harvey Kurtzman, Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: EC Comics
1952-2020
2023 Rank:  607
"The skeptical generation of kids it shaped in the 1950s is the same generation that, in the 1960s, opposed a war and didn't feel bad when the United States lost for the first time and in the 1970s helped turn out an Administration and didn't feel bad about that either ... It was magical, objective proof to kids that they weren't alone, that in New York City on Lafayette Street, if nowhere else, there were people who knew that there was something wrong, phony and funny about a world of bomb shelters, brinkmanship and toothpaste smiles. Mad's consciousness of itself, as trash, as comic book, as enemy of parents and teachers, even as money-making enterprise, thrilled kids." - Tony Hiss, The new York Times

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117. Kingdom
Writer: Yasuhisa Hara
Artist: Yasuhisa Hara
Publisher: Shueisha
2006-Ongoing
2023 Rank: Unranked
"All in all, it’s a great visual novel. I love it so much because it is able to give life to the countless of readings that I have gone through from high school to college. It never loses hype, and it’s all thanks to Hara-sensei’s scriptwriting. The character development and character moments are also noteworthy. The awesome art is just icing on the cake." - Roxanne, Roxmanga

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116. XIII
Writer: Jean Van Hamme
Artist: William Vance
Publisher: Dargaud
1984-Ongoing
2023 Rank: Unranked
"But what is the mystery of such success? Because it takes imagination and talent to keep fans in suspense for over 40 years! The first cycle by Vance and Van Hamme laid the foundations of this gripping story, the central mystery with a gripping storyline: XIII, alone against everyone, must fight to thwart the traps and assassination attempts of which he is the target while searching its origins. The complexity of the plot is worked by Jean Van Hamme in an unpredictable way, seeking to surprise himself as much as he surprises his reader." - Julie Leclerc, Le Carnet et Les Instants (translated from French)

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115. Blueberry
Writer: Jean-Michel Charlier
Artist: Moebius
Publisher: Dargaud
1963-2005
2023 Rank: Unranked
"The absolutely engaging scripts that Jean Charlier threads has so many layers and depth, and creates such a rich tapestry of personalities that they could be considered wonderful adventure books on their own right.  Ulyses Grant, Chihuaha Pearl, and Angel Face are just some of the characters that populate these tales, and each one of them has gained a spot on the history books of comics. The team of Charlier and Moebius became legendary partially due to the meticulous research that the pair did for their stories; the writer in order to portray a veritable and historically accurate western, and the artists going over myriad of obscure visual references for the vignettes. And the result shows in spades." - Gerald Dean, The Comic Watcher

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114. Nikopol
Writer: Enki Bilal
Artist: Enki Bilal
Publisher: Les Humanoïdes Associés
1980-1992
2023 Rank: Unranked
"As our own world inches closer to the dystopian future Bilal imagined, the Nikopol Trilogy serves as both a warning and a beacon of hope. It reminds us of the power of art to illuminate the darkest corners of human experience, and to imagine new possibilities even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. In doing so, it cements its place not just as a classic of graphic literature, but as a timeless exploration of the human condition itself." - Herm, Fear Planet

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113. Locke & Key
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodríguez
Publisher: IDW
2008-2013
2023 Rank: 57
"This is issue works on so many different levels. The Locke kids and the reader have been on a journey of discovery all these issues, and just when we think the big questions will never get answers, Joe Hill delivers a story that spells it out for us. Gabriel Rodriguez continues to mesmerize, and the creatures on the other side of the black door are creepier than I remember." - Stephen Schleicher, Major Spoilers

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112. New X-Men
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Various
Publisher: Marvel Comics
2001-2004
2023 Rank: 95
"Every once in a while a creator lands a run on a mainstream comic which suits them to a ‘t’. There’s Alan Moore’s tenure on Swamp Thing and Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, for example. Sure, both writers did great work with other characters on a stand-alone basis (notably Superman and Batman respectively), but these were generally individual arcs rather than directing three or four years of the characters’ stories. Having read New X-Men, I can confirm that Grant Morrison has found his own such series." - Darren Mooney, The Movie Blog

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111. Bleach
Writer: Tite Kubo
Artist: Tite Kubo
Publisher: Shueisha
2001-2016
2023 Rank: Unranked
"The Bleach juggernaut continues to plow along, but the fact is it wouldn't be as popular as it is if there weren't something to keep readers coming back with each release. Whether you're like the guy behind me who felt it was art over substance, or if you feel the reverse is true, there's no denying that Bleach has something. I like to think it's a little bit of both…the artwork and the storyline meshing nicely to create a compelling story that makes me want to see what's going to happen next." - A. E. Sparrow, IGN

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110. Astonishing X-Men
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel Comics
2004-2008
2023 Rank: 76
"The key is his greatest asset as a writer, the ability to write dialogue. There are many portions of the series, non-fighting portions, that you want to re-read, and then re-read again, because of some witty (and completely in character) thing that Whedon had them say. And, as great as the dialogue is, some of the best moments of the series are when characters are struck speechless." - Andy the Saint, Top Five Reviews

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109. Blake and Mortimer
Writer: Edgar P. Jacobs
Artist: Edgar P. Jacobs
Publisher: Le Lombard
1946-1990
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Captain Francis Blake and Professor Philip Mortimer began their weekly serial adventures in the first issue of Tintin Magazine in 1946, linking Edgar P. Jacobs to Hergé forever in the minds of Franco-Belgian comics fans as a founding father of the ‘clear line’. The Yellow “M” was the third Blake & Mortimer story and the sixth volume to be published, following the three part Secret of the Swordfish and the two part Mystery of the Great Pyramid. It’s the peak of Jacobs’ work in this series and one of the most influential, key books of 20th Century European comics." - Woodrow Phoenix, The Slings & Arrows

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108. Goodnight Punpun
Writer: Inio Asano
Artist: Inio Asano
Publisher: Shogakukan
2007-2013
2023 Rank: 212
"Overall, Goodnight PunPun is an ambitious work with a lot to like – discussing deep and serious themes that don’t sugarcoat depressing situations. It uses abstract storylines and imagery to follow a variety of troubled characters, putting the reader in their skewed perception of reality... I’d recommend this manga to anyone who wants a darker piece to read which plays with the “coming of age” genre, and can put up with edgy philosophy and lackluster character development." - Luke P, Ripe Mangoes

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107. The Spirit
Writer: Will Eisner
Artist: Will Eisner
Publisher: Quality Comics
1940-1952
2023 Rank: Unranked
"With a mixture of the violence that Dashiell Hammett brought to Red Harvest, the wild characters that filled the stories of Damon Runyon and the humanity at the center of O. Henry’s best work, Will Eisner’s The Spirit proves that comic books can be literature as well as fun. And he did it with some of the greatest and most influential art ever seen in a comic book. In the way his art challenges your eye, the narrative often grabs you by the heart or mind and won’t let you go. Stories published under the banner of The Spirit are literate, touching, funny, and as action-packed as you could hope for in a comic. Publishing a different, seven- or eight-page story every week, Eisner moved across romance, action, adventure, tragedy, comedy effortlessly. Often in the same story." - Mark Squirek, New York Journal of Books

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106. Metabarons
Writer: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Artist: Juan Gimenez
Publisher: Humanoids
1992-2003
2023 Rank: 398
"Overall, The Metabarons is a must-read for fans of science fiction and graphic novels. The combination of Jodorowsky’s writing and Giménez’s art make for a truly memorable and thought-provoking experience. With its epic scope and richly detailed artwork, The Metabarons has garnered a devoted following and is considered a classic of science fiction literature." - Dominique Musorrafiti, Retrofuturista

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105. Vagabond
Writer: Takehiko Inoue
Artist: Takehiko Inoue
Publisher: Viz Media
1998-2015
2023 Rank: 607
"The one aspect of the series that doesn’t falter a bit is, naturally, the art. Were Inoue to have a separate artist for his script, I’d think that artist would get bored with splash page after splash page, but Inoue seems to have a clear vision of what he wants to accomplish, even if it’s not readily apparent to the reader. It looks beautiful all the same." - Michael Aronson, Manga Life

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104. 300
Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Frank Miller, Lynn Varley
Publisher: Dark Horse
1998
2023 Rank: 74
"Having said that, the book is an important part of Miller’s bibliography, up there with the likes of Ronin. If you’re a history nut, you might want to avoid this, but for the Miller fans, this is indispensable reading. For those of you who’re still on the edge, go pick up this book. Regardless of what anyone says, it’s difficult indeed to not thoroughly enjoy a book like 300." - Kushagra Udai, Strip Tease Magazine

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103. Ghost in the Shell
Writer: Masamune Shirow
Artist: Masamune Shirow
Publisher: Kodansha
1989-1991
2023 Rank: Unranked
"Already the reception of the original manga series stressed out the stylish vividness, fascinating originality and enduring influence of the main idea of Ghost in the Shell, an idea that managed to capture the imagination of readers for more than two decades, in itself a sign that Masamune had touched upon something real in his depiction of one of our possible futures." - Mirt Komel, THE GHOST OUTSIDE ITS SHELL: REVISITING THE PHILOSOPHY OF GHOST IN THE SHELL

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102. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Dave McKean
Publisher: DC Comics
1989
2023 Rank:  44
"McKean's art is crucial to the tale. No other artist, with the exception perhaps of David Mack, could come close to capturing the claustrophobic psychosis permeating Arkham Asylum... Batman: Arkham Asylum is unlike any other Batman book you've ever read. No one's ever tried to duplicate it. I doubt anyone could." - Hilary Goldstein, IGN

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101. Palestine
Writer: Joe Sacco
Artist: Joe Sacco
Publisher: Fantagraphics
1993-1995
2023 Rank: 429
"Sacco utilizes the comics form to represent the complex of physical borders and spatial narratives he encounters in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at the end of the first Intifada. Further, he renders graphically the epiphenomenal sonic regime resulting from spatial management. Rather than an absence or gap in the Palestinian narrative, Sacco understands spatialized sound as a presence or marker of materiality. Ultimately, Palestine suggests the rich potential of the comics form for postcolonial literary studies." - Rose Brister, Sounding the Occupation: Joe Sacco’s Palestine and the Uses of Graphic Narrative for (Post)Colonial Critique

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