51 Comics that Sven Likes

[Sven]

I never questioned your opinion on it.

No. But I was just countering your use of "inconsequential." Moving on.

[number8]

Whatever the motivation was for the story, Barry's sacrifice is still one of the greatest comic book deaths ever.

Fucking Geoff Johns gotta be messing with it.

[megladon8]

Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison are the best things to happen to main-line DC comics in years.

[D_Davis]

For me, Crisis was all about the art. I read it when it was released, and it was the first and only DC comic I had read up until that point. I really had no idea what was going on, but the art and page layouts were so good that I didn't even care.

[Sven]

44. Skreemer by Peter Milligan & Brett Ewins (1989)



Milligan fancies himself a poet, and this is never more evident than in this dystopian science-fiction noir epitaph to James Joyce. The narrative jumps back and forth between four different periods of time, all signified with varying muted color palettes and stated in the narration with a dizzying mantra noting how many years before or after “the fall” the scene takes place. It’s seriously heavy work, dreamlike in the vein of Finnegan’s Wake (still unfinished by me), where ambition is inseparable from genealogy, and events cannot transpire free of the weight of history. Thankfully, aside from its emphasis on twisting chronology, the actual story itself is fascinating and, page to page, totally unpredictable; tight transitions and insistence on active panels (relatively little decompression present) infuse the book’s reveries with lucid gestures and expressions.

[megladon8]

Love that artwork. I'll definitely have to check that one out.

[Sven]

43. OMAC: One Man Army Corps by Jack Kirby (1974-75)



I choose this title in lieu of the more obvious selection of something from Kirby’s Fourth World saga, like Mister Miracle, which is one of the best comics because of Big Barda (my favorite DC character), or Kamandi. It seems in the rush to applaud Kirby for his spectacles, OMAC is frequently overlooked even though the scale of frenzied heroics equals his best work. Here you’ve got crazy cosmic action galore, an intriguing spin on a prototypical premise, and a tight 8-issue run that milks every moment for maximum mania. I had a hard time choosing which images to use to represent the book because every single unit of illustration works on its own, conveying the grandeur of Kirby’s vision in a compact package. Above is a page showing OMAC walking away from an explosion like a total badass years before Brad Pitt did the same thing in Spy Game. And though a Kirby Tech showcase is about the best thing in the world, most of my favorite panels from his body of work capture the serenity surrounding the insanity.

[megladon8]

I love Jack Kirby, oh so much.

[Sven]

42. Iron Man: the Inevitable by Joe Casey & Frazer Irving (2006)



Irving's virtuoso artwork is wondrous, imbuing even in the simple illustration of two faceless human forms talking in an empty room with dynamic energy. His penchant for pinks and purples is a perfect fit to capture Iron Man’s mechaverse. Would that the story deserved his stylus. Joe Casey is better writing his own properties, relying heavily on his artists to elevate publisher-owned superhero material (as Eric Canete does with Casey’s other Iron Man book, Enter the Mandarin, which is also recommended). Not saying his writing is undesirable: The Inevitable is an exciting potboiler cum high-tech action fantasy. And with Ghost and the Human Laser in play, it’s weird enough to be interesting. But there is a strangely dogged focus on Stark’s deniability; his refusal to admit to being Iron Man achieves a mantra-like effect. Don’t know much about the character beyond the obvious, but the focus on that angle is a curiosity. But it’s those sinewy lines, streaks of fluorescent color and attentiveness to gesture and facial expression that are the real reason to read this.

[megladon8]

Have you read "Iron Man :Extremis", Sven?

[Sven]

Have you read "Iron Man :Extremis", Sven?

Nope.

[Sven]

41. Enginehead by Joe Kelly & Ted McKeever (2004)



In the same vein as Steampunk, Joe Kelly employs a quixotic narrative style, which, compounded with Ted McKeever’s artwork, being more intricate than anything else I’ve seen of his, takes a while to decipher. He curbs none of his signature snark, instilling his experimental science fiction with an almost puerile sensibility while still asking the big questions. With these books, it appears I have a fondness for complicated artwork featuring pipes, bolts, and gigantic chunks of steel at the service of opaque, apocalyptic stories that necessitate repeat readings. I’ve always been drawn to story models incorporating the concept of collective transmogrification and synecdoche—lot of ideas about the individual and the collective. Abetting my attraction to this heady adventure is the surprise presence of the Metal Men, whom I love. Kudos to DC for allowing such a weird script to be told with such idiosyncrasy.

[EyesWideOpen]

Two more I haven't read. Irving is a beast.

[Sven]

40. Cy-Gor by Rick Veitch & Joel Thomas (1999)



Didn’t ever expect to find myself fawning over a McFarlane creation, but this rabid cybernetic killer gorilla in the hands of Rick Veitch and Joel Thomas becomes an engaging, tortured but still murderously violent monster. The story involves an operatic rescue mission that gives the book depth beyond the expert horror show that it so wildly is. On his quest, Cy-Gor engages with a city populated with villains, including a serial killer artist, a vengeful Hindu specter, and government cronies trying to sequester the beast while mutilating everything else in their path. It’s Grand Guignol in the most complimentary use of the term. Starkings’s irregular lettering and Thomas’s unique visual flow sharpen Veitch’s script while making sure to draw generous attention to the grotesqueries on display.

[number8]

Huh. I didn't realize that existed (the mini, not the character). Even in a universe populated with really, really dumb villains such as the Spawn universe, Cy-Gor was always one of the dumbest.

[megladon8]

I really want to read that.

[Sven]

39. X-Treme X-Men: the Arena by Chris Claremont & Igor Kordey (2003-04)



Unfortunately, yes, Chris Claremont made the cut. Sigh. Explanation in two words: Igor Kordey. His dynamic flow and eye for capturing the right moment for rendering make him a top three illustrator for me. His figures, caught in dramatic, graceful action, justify the premise of Storm’s transformation into an Aunty Entity-type queen of an underground gladiator games culture. I sense that he’s stretching beyond what Claremont’s script is providing (very little) to reach the heights of ingenuity that he does, but all the more bully for him because of it. His great layouts aren’t done much justice by Scott Hanna’s conventional inks, but thankfully his strength is largely in the framing and construction of his mighty pages. Here he offers plenty of mind-bending splashes and experimental arrangements, proving that innovative delivery can elevate subpar product to significance.

[Sven]

38. Promethea: the Magic Theatre by Alan Moore & JH Williams III (issue 12, 2001)



For magic-infused comics, G-Moz’s chaos magic is more my flavor. Moore is so entrenched in the dogma of the occult that his spell weaving is more pointed, more religious. And I'm not really too interested in Kabbalah or the tarot. His love of word slinging for its own sake, too, sometimes leaves me cold, and here the text is teeming with anagram tricks and couplets, which I normally tire of quite quickly. For that matter, as golden as JH Williams’s artwork is, on this series especially, this issue is almost entirely done in collage, which I’m rarely enticed by or impressed with. So color me stunned that this issue, which is comprised of all those things I just mentioned, had me hypnotized, jaw agape, barely able to withhold my anticipation for the next page. It’s a lecture, yes, but it’s a riveting presentation of information by any standard.

(second picture unavailable due to it being impossible to select a smaller image from this tapestry-like work)

[megladon8]

I really like that X-Men page layout.

[Sven]

37. Thor by Matt Fraction (w/art teams, 2007-current)



Aiding Fraction’s spectacular take on the beloved mythical Norse Marvel property are some of the finest artists in the current Marvel rotation: before working on the kaleidoscopic dementia with the trippy Pascal Ferry in “Thor”, which is currently continuing with the mighty Oliver Coipel in “The Mighty Thor”, Fraction developed a terrific mythic vision, rooted in the tradition of Lee and Kirby’s original Tales of Asgard, with several one-shots compiled in the Ages of Thunder trade with the aid of one of my favorite pencillists extraordinaire, Patrick Zircher. The effect of his insistence on double page spreads is keenly felt, employing a novel language of size and scope for epic resonance. I wanted to include something of Fraction’s that wasn’t a company asset, but he’s fresh and his best work is still in stoking the stakes of Marvel’s universe. Can’t wait to see where his career goes.

[megladon8]

I have never actually read any "Thor" comics.

Would this be a good place to start, Sven?

[Sven]

I have never actually read any "Thor" comics.

Would this be a good place to start, Sven?

Honestly, probably not. The Ages of Thunder paperback is a great stand-alone book that doesn't pertain to the U at large, but everything else of his definitely incorporates gigantic event reverberations. Most of the relevant stuff is spelled out in prologues, but you know how it is... lots of peripheral knowledge I've had to research.

[megladon8]

Honestly, probably not. The Ages of Thunder paperback is a great stand-alone book that doesn't pertain to the U at large, but everything else of his definitely incorporates gigantic event reverberations. Most of the relevant stuff is spelled out in prologues, but you know how it is... lots of peripheral knowledge I've had to research.

Ah, understood.

I mean, I have a firm grasp of the Marvel universe and its goings-on, I just haven't ventured much into the "Thor" comic books.

Is there anything in particular you'd recommend I read first, before tackling this? I'm really interested in checking it out.

[Sven]

Is there anything in particular you'd recommend I read first, before tackling this? I'm really interested in checking it out.

I don't have any suggestions, as I just jumped right into it. Apparently there's some big event where Asgard is destroyed and Loki is killed. That's where Fraction picks up.

[Sven]

I'm very happy to have interested you, though.