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Paste Magazine's The 20 Best Graphic Novels of the Decade (2000-2009)

 
 
djjd62
 
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 08:01 am
As the movie industry cannibalizes superheroes one intellectual property at a time, it’s oftentimes easy to forget that comic books are an entire medium, not a single genre. Although Paste loves the symbolism of a grand guignol throwdown between two adrenalized supermen, this decade has been especially prolific in tearing down stagnant conventions, in superhero books and beyond. So if you think you’re too sophisticated to enjoy a splash page or two, check out our Best. List. Ever. of the coolest graphic novels of the past decade, and make sure to tell us yours in the comments.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/CaptainAmericaBrubakerOmnibusCover1-thumb.jpg

20. Captain America Omnibus, Vol. 1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Michael Lark, Marcos Martin, Lee Weeks
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Long-time comics scribe Ed Brubaker revitalizes Captain America with action, espionage and precise characterization fitting a superhero veteran of Cap’s status. The wonderfully gritty art style of Steve Epting adds exponentially to the retelling of Captain America’s days as a soldier in WWII, and the return of his first partner, Bucky, is a work of narrative wonder. Ultimately, the history of a ’40s icon is updated while preserving his adulated past.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/Wildcats.jpg

19. Wildcats Version 3.0: Brand Building
Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Dustin Nguyen
Publisher: Wildstorm
The design is the first thing you’ll notice about Wildcats 3.0, the title streamlined into a clean, antiseptic sans-serif typeface that wouldn’t look out of place on an investment magazine. Gone is the messy, hyperkinetic bleed of color and action that tends to accompany most illustrations of grown men in tights fighting. It looks grown up. And that’s exactly what Wildcats 3.0 is: a superhero book for adults. Writer Joe Casey took a group of X-Men knockoffs and put them in a corporate setting, showing that ethical business can be its own superpower, especially in this day and age. Critically adored yet commercially stagnant, Casey and penciller Dustin Nyguyen’s landmark series has yet to be fully collected.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/img4083.jpg

18. Ex Machina, Vol. 1
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Tony Harris
Publisher: Wildstorm
What makes Ex Machina so phenomenal? Where to begin: Is it the flesh and blood characterization? The haunting detail of Manhattan and its elusive quirks? Or is it Tony Harris’ art that makes your eyes glide over every shaded curve like a heated knife on brie? It’s all of these things and more. And by “more,” we mean “uber-charasmatic Mayor Mitchell Hundred,” a 9-11 hero infused with alien technology who makes local politics more interesting than they have any right to be.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/usagiyojimbo18jotaro_01g.jpg

17. Usagi Yojimbo Volume 18: Travels with Jotaro
Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai
Publisher: Dark Horse
Stan Sakai’s elegant, simple line work offers a glimpse into the fetching story of Usagi, a rabbit samurai, and his gradual bonding with a son who doesn’t know him. There’s plenty of samurai action, adventure and comedy as they travel a fuedal Japan populated talking animals. One of the longest running series in comics, the quality of the narrative still remains undeniably high.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/Ultimates.jpg

16. The Ultimates Omnibus
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Bryan Hitch, Steve Dillon
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This one speaks for itself: Captain America, exhausted and bloody, crouches subdued at the feet of a Nazi alien. The galactic Gestapo asks the First Avenger if he would like to surrender. Filling a full-page spread, the Captain points to his forehead and screams, “YOU THINK THIS LETTER ON MY HEAD STANDS FOR FRANCE?” The WWII hero slams his shield edge-wise into the invader’s head. High-fives are had. Halted breath is exhaled. Awesomeness fills the air.

(Note: It’s worth noting that the writer of this book is actually European. And wickedly funny.)

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/Hellboy.jpg

15. Hellboy Library Edition, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil
Writers: Mike Mignola, John Byrne
Artist: Mike Mignola
Publisher: Dark Horse
Long before Guillermo del Toro dressed Ron Perlman up in horns and a trench coat, the director was a massive fan of writer/artist Mike Mignola’s source material, a neo-gothic comic with style to spare. Mignola uses his titular hero as a tool to explore forgotten folklore and legend, bringing an antique aesthetic to his beautifully rendered, angular pencils. Infusing pulpy twists (and zombie robots) into a melancholic backdrop, Hellboy is bizarre and beautiful.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/superman_redson.jpg

14. Superman: Red Son
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Dave Johnson
Publisher: DC Comics
In Superman: Red Son, writer Mark Millar bends the comics template of dualistic morality and shows a world in which heroics are defined by politics and environment. In other words, he constructs a fictional world with the rules of our own. The plot portrays a Superman who lands in Soviet Russia instead of America, and is raised by the government to preserve the communist manifesto against the encroaching capitalist threat of the west. By the time you’re exposed to an Ayn Rand/Lex Luthor hybrid and a paranoia-spouting Batman, you’ll already be rooting for the comrades in this wildly innovative alternate reality.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/absoluteauthority.jpg

13. The Absolute Authority Vol. 1
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Bryan Hitch
Publisher: Wildstorm
The Authority takes the conventional superhero group comic and fires it out of a ballistics cannon. With amazing art, fascinating characters and outrageous action, this book throws you head-first into its adrenal-draining, widescreen madness. A completely satisfying example of what the genre can and should be. Not intended for the the squeamish.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/pedro.jpg

12. Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss and What I Learned
Writer/Artist: Judd Winick
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Possibly the only good thing to come out of MTV’s vacuous Real World series, former roommate Judd Winick tells the story of his life before and after his stint on the show with Pedro Zamora, his HIV-positive roommate. Winick doesn’t pull any punches, boldly wearing his heart on his sleeve as he escorts the audience through his turbulent emotions. Afterwards, you can’t help but feel you know Pedro too, and appreciate the larger issues he’s come to represent.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/fblsdelx.jpg

11. Fables Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Mark Buckingham, Lan Medina
Publisher: Vertigo
If you’ve ever wanted to see Cinderella as a seductive spy or The Big Bad Wolf as a gritty badass, look no further. Bill Willingham’s massive narrative (we’re on issue #90 for those counting) carries the public-domain populace of The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson past its Old World trappings into a modern, inclusive world. The only thing more magical than the plot twists and characterization is James Jean’s gorgeous cover art.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/scottpilgrim1.jpg

10. Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life
Writer/Artist: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Publisher: Oni Press
Anyone who rants that comic books only offer macho posturing and 2-dimensional characterization has never experienced this gem by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Gen-Y mascot Scott Pilgrim is the most endearing 8-bit loving loser friend you’ve never had. He riffs on everything from crappy indie rock to vintage clothing stores and fights his shady girlfriend’s ex-boyfriends in over the top Manga homage. Laugh-out-loud clever and subversively emotional, this is the most kinetic coming-of-age yarn you’ll find in print.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/Jimmy_Corrigan.jpg

9. Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
Writer/Artist: Chris Ware
Publisher: Pantheon
Chris Ware’s art is perfectly simple and his storytelling wonderfully complex. This painstaking work forms a great synthesis of craft and art, with multiple storylines providing lucid glimpses into the lives of the Corrigan family. Often unsettling but always captivating, this original tour de force evokes a unique melancholy that lingers long after the final page is read.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/all-star_superman.jpg

8. All Star Superman, Vol. 1
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
Publisher: DC Comics
Grant Morrison’s brain is a thing of awe. The Scottish scribe and self-appointed “ontological terrorist” has been regaling comicdom with brutally creative, psychedelic tales for decades. (Last year he stated that he treats himself “as a laboratory to become something else,” if that gives you any hints). All of his work has a hyperactive, flood-of-consciousness brilliance to it, but All-Star Superman achieves new heights. Battling zany Silver Age concepts like monsters made of time and breaking the fourth wall in his final act, The Man of Steel hasn’t been more super since, well, ever. Penciller Frank Quitely also gives Richard Donner a run for the most awe-inspiring “S” flashes since the first movie.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/planetarysuperman.jpg

7. Absolute Planetary
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: John Cassaday
Publisher: Wildstorm
Cynical sci-fi magnate Warren Ellis reimagines super hero history in an entirely original and incredibly entertaining way. Imagine an evil Fantastic Four killing off Superman, a teenage Wonder Woman and Doc Savage, Tarzan, The Shadow and Godzilla all simultaneously living in the same erratic, flawed world. This enigmatic tapestry unfolds as a 27-issue conspiracy theory, holding all of its cards tight till the last issue. The ultimate “What If?” story.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/ghost-world.jpg

6. Ghost World
Writer/Artist: Daniel Clowes
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Dan Clowes provides an engrossing study of that fleeting time between high school and what comes after. Two quirky best friends slowly realize they are headed in entirely different directions and attempt to deal with their separation in their own unique ways. The perfect complement to the movie, and vice versa.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/Flight_1.jpg

5. Flight Volume 1
Editor: Kazu Kibuishi
Publisher: Villard
Kazu Kibuishi’s concept for this immersive anthology was a simple one: Take a handful of young cartoonists"the average age was 24"and have them write and draw whatever they’d like, as long as it revolved around the theme of flight. Six volumes and a bible of critical acclaim later, the series still stands as a fertile breeding ground for inspired talent and gorgeous storytelling. Charming, subtle and wildly imaginative, this vivid all-ages primer is a triumph for the medium.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/Y_Last_Man.jpg

4. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Pia Guerra
Publisher: Vertigo
Whereas most heterosexual 20-something men would give their right arm to be the last existing male in a world of females, poor Yorick Brown discovered that there can, in fact, be too much of a good thing in this pioneering series. With enough gender issues to fuel a Feminism 101 class, Y: The Last Man is intelligent, post-apocalyptic storytelling at its best"provocative, insightful and a little bit steamy.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/daredevil_omnibus.jpg

3. Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev Omnibus, Vol. 1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Only one word comes to mind to describe Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev’s 54-issue run: Epic. Forget the heretic movie starring Ben Affleck; Daredevil is one of the most mature, fully-realized characters in Marvel’s expansive lexicon. Neo-noir writer Bendis digs into blind lawyer Matt Murdock’s psyche with surgical precision, making him battle crime lords and his neurotic shortcomings in equal measure. This addictively tense masterwork transcends genre into literary excellence.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/12/bone_jeff_smith.jpg

2. Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith
Publisher: Cartoon Books
Bone is a true classic in any storytelling medium. Jeff Smith describes his colossal fantasy as a cross between Bugs Bunny and Lord of the Rings, but it ultimately stands as its own legacy. A whimsical, often-times hilarious journey that straddles action, adventure and comedy with natural finesse, Bone entertains from start to finish, young and old alike.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/05/Blankets%20Cover%20JPEG%20300dpi.jpg

1. Blankets
Writer/Artist: Craig Thompson
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Reading Blankets is like reliving your youth as you wander through the artist’s personal trials of fundamentalist religion and teenage heart-break in small-town America. The story has been told many times, but Craig Thompson’s version is one of the most honest, warm and compelling renditions. It’s like going home with a close friend and discovering how similar your journeys truly are.


some good stuff here

i own (in one form or another)
1 - great use of art and story
2 - great story, as is the prequel Rose, smith is a great writer and his take on captain marvel (shazam) is also worth looking at
3 - classic take on the daredevil mythos
4 - interesting story, need to get more someday
5 - good anthology series, have the first 4 volumes
6 - classic
8 - great reworking of the story of superman, beautiful art work, i have the first two volumes, also volume 1 of all star batman and robin, good but not as good as superman
9 - typical weirdness from chris ware
11 - in my opinion, hands down, the best comic book series since the sandman, have 11 of the tpb's to date
14 - an elseworlds tale, what if the man of tomorrow had landed in soviet russia
15 have these as collected as individual tpb's, mignola's art alone is worth a look
16 - have the first 4 tpb's of this series, love the art and story, haven't got the latest tpb yet, different artist, not digging it
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 6,023 • Replies: 19
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djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 08:03 am
really want to check out 18, 13, 7

will be back later with some additions of my own
Seed
 
  2  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 09:02 am
@djjd62,
I was really nice to see that outta the top 20 only a handful are ones that people will recognize. Lets me know that there is some hope in the world!
0 Replies
 
wandeljw
 
  2  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 09:39 am
I do not have much experience reading graphic novels. I briefly followed the Japanese manga "Death Note". How would the "Death Note" series compare to the graphic novels on that list, djjd?
tsarstepan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 09:59 am
@djjd62,
Sadly, my exposure to the graphic novel medium this decades is through the generosity and the serious editorial and/or financial limitations of the NYPL.

18. Ex Machina, Vol. 1
I love Ex Machina and Brian K. Vaughan intermingling of politics suspense, and superhero action.

11. Fables Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
I tried to get a copy of this once but like most graphic novels of this nature, the majority of the library's lot ends up stolen.


9. Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
I've read reviews and heard of this one. Will track it down.

6. Ghost World
Writer/Artist: Daniel Clowes
Loved the movie, have no interest in diving into the graphic novel.

5. Flight Volume 1
Editor: Kazu Kibuishi
Another case of mostly MIA volumes. Tried to reserve once, gave up after seeing that most copies were gone.

4. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Most bitter about the library not carrying this one. I read the first volume and was intrigued. It doesn't look like the NYPL will try to get the rest. Perhaps I shall protest their graven mistake!

2. Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith
I read this whole mostly disappointing debacle. I bet I would have loved it if I was a teenager. But reading it a couple of years ago? I just kept groaning and rolling my eyes at the whole thing.

1. Blankets
Writer/Artist: Craig Thompson
Never heard of it. I'm quite intrigued and hope I can grab a copy.

Quote:
some good stuff here

I beg to differ! Some great stuff here!

Quote:
14 - an elseworlds tale, what if the man of tomorrow had landed in soviet russia

I used to obsessively collect elseworld graphic novels of the Batman ilk. This political twist on the Superman ideology sounds quite fun.

TWO GREAT DEBTS I OWE TO THE NYPL! Thanks New York Public Library for stockpiling in the following wonders of the literary world!
I'm kind of disappointed that they don't mention the subtle and minimalist humor of Jason, a Norwegian artist, whose animal-human characters are more human then some people I know.
http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=325&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=62&vmcchk=1&Itemid=62

And the travelogue/graphic novel style memoirist from French Canada, Guy Delisle!
http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?st=art&art=a41e32dcb62910
Burma Chronicles;
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea ;
Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China.

http://www.cannovan.com/images/blogimgs/fring-2007-guy-delisle.jpg




djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:01 am
@wandeljw,
basically the same thing

the books on the list are mostly collections of single issue comic books, or trade paperbacks (tpb), not necessarily stand alone stories
0 Replies
 
tsarstepan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:03 am
@wandeljw,
wandeljw wrote:

I do not have much experience reading graphic novels. I briefly followed the Japanese manga "Death Note". How would the "Death Note" series compare to the graphic novels on that list, djjd?


I can't say how the manga holds up to the list as I haven't been exposed. This past week, I finally gotten around to milking the hulu.com archive and so far gotten up to episode 21 of the most excellent Death Note anime. Is there much difference (quality of writing and story wise) between the manga and the anime depictions?
Diest TKO
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:06 am
I'm sad Akira didn't make the list, but it is a good list. I've read about half of the suggested. I'm about exhausted on my current cue, so this is good for ideas on what to read next.

I've resisted from reading Blackest Night, because I want to get in trade, but I'm going to waiting until February.

T
K
O
djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:08 am
@tsarstepan,
tsarstepan wrote:

2. Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith
I read this whole mostly disappointing debacle. I bet I would have loved it if I was a teenager. But reading it a couple of years ago? I just kept groaning and rolling my eyes at the whole thing.


i guess i never grew up, i read it about 2 years ago (at age 44) and loved it, but hey, that's what makes the world go round

checked out some of the ones on your list at Chapters (canada's answer to Barnes a& Noble), sadly our county library doesn't carry much in the way of graphic novels

Chapter's in the last few years have had 20% off sales on graphic novels at regular intervals, that combined with the 10% off i get as an irewards member makes it a little easier to justify the purchase



0 Replies
 
djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:10 am
@Diest TKO,
pretty sure that akira is an 80's collection
0 Replies
 
tsarstepan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:11 am
@Diest TKO,
Quote:
I'm sad Akira didn't make the list...

Wrong decade. Akira was published in the 80's decade, though I haven't witnessed its serial glory.
Diest TKO
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:18 am
@tsarstepan,
tsarstepan wrote:

Quote:
I'm sad Akira didn't make the list...

Wrong decade. Akira was published in the 80's decade, though I haven't witnessed its serial glory.

Oh I didn't notice the "last decade" part...

In that case, DC's Identity Crisis and Kingdom Come would be a good additions.

T
Kingdom Come had such a following, DC made it cannon.
O
djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:24 am
@tsarstepan,
i enjoyed the movie better, the comics do tend to go on

not a huge manga fan, but i really liked these

Solanin
http://z.about.com/d/manga/1/0/U/Q/-/-/solanin_500.jpg

Living is hard. When you don't know what you want to do. When you do know what you want to do. Meiko and Taneda have been together all through college. Now they are living together, out in the real world. But as changes, hardships and boredom shake their lives, they wonder if they'll be able to make it.

Genshiken
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/24/Genshiken_vol1_cover.jpg

Genshiken follows the lives of a group of college students drawn together by their shared hobbies, and the trials and adventures associated with being otaku (extremely obsessed fans of various media). The story begins with the introduction of Kanji Sasahara, a shy, confidence-lacking freshman who on club day at university, decides to join a club he would actually enjoy, Genshiken (Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai or "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture"). Over his four years at Shiiou University, Sasahara comes to accept himself for who he is and loses the inhibitions and guilt he once felt and associated with otaku culture, becoming an enthusiastic clubmember, and for a time, a capable club president. As the story of Genshiken progresses, focus is also placed on Saki Kasukabe, a determined non-otaku who initially struggles to drag her boyfriend out of the club, and Chika Ogiue, a self-professed otaku-hater who feels a deep-seated shame and self-loathing toward her own interests and hobbies.

During the course of the series, the reader bears witness as the group grows in its cohesiveness over time, and bonds form between the characters as they begin to see themselves as more than fellow club members, but friends as well. In this context, club activities such as group outings, the biannual pilgrimage to Comifes, and even simply hanging out in the clubroom, allow the characters' complex relationships to grow into friendship, infatuation, and at times, even love. While a few of them never quite see eye-to-eye about their interests or the lives they lead, they are held together by the bonds of friendship that they share.

Tekkon Kinkreet / Black & White
http://www.popcultureshock.com/wp-content/uploads/manga/tekkonkinkreet.jpg

Street urchins Black and White have skyscraper-sized chips on their shoulders, but are fiercely loyal to each other. Black is especially quick to avenge any slight against his dim-witted pal. The result? The citizens of Treasure Town are afraid of them, the police are afraid of them--even the local yakuza gangsters are afraid of them! But when the crime boss known as the "Rat" returns to Treasure Town, it looks like there's gonna be a rumble... The violence in this unique European-influenced manga title is more mindful than it seems at first glance, and the subtle relationships between its unique cast of characters are marked by surprising poignancy.

0 Replies
 
wandeljw
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:25 am
@tsarstepan,
I personally think that the Death Note anime series is better than the manga itself.
0 Replies
 
djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:28 am
@Diest TKO,
loved kingdom come
0 Replies
 
tsarstepan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 10:28 am
@Diest TKO,
Done and done. Just reserved both Kingdom Come and Identity Crisis (both titles in which I'm familiar with but never read) and now presently awaiting their arrival onto the NYPL book reserves shelves.
0 Replies
 
djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 11:35 am
Neil Gaiman did two projects for Marvel that i quite enjoyed

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/marvel-1602/1-1.jpg

The always inventive Gaiman has concocted an unlikely"but fantastically successful"superhero comic that transfers Marvel's classic characters to the Elizabethan period. Nick Fury is still a lethal government operative, but now he's an adviser to Queen Elizabeth. Her Majesty is equally reliant on magician and doctor Stephen Strange. X-Men mentor Charles Xavier still shepherds a band of mutant teens, only now he's called Carlos Javier, and the mutants are known, and mistrusted, as "witchbreed." Carlos's mysterious nemesis has taken on a new job: grand inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. Peter Parker (here "Parquah") is still a confused but well-meaning teenager who has yet to be bitten by a radioactive spider. Placed in a period landscape (rendered in rich, painterly panels by illustrator Kubert and digital painter Richard Isanove), these familiar characters must grapple with the issues of the day, chief among them the machinations of the evil King James of Scotland. And, in classic superhero style, they must save the world. The improbable combination works remarkably well, as the superheroes' strange abilities adapt to Elizabethan culture.

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/bestsellers-2007/3956-1.jpg

Jack Kirby's old Eternals series gets a serious dusting-off from Gaiman (Anansi Boys) and artist Romita. The Eternals, a super-race, are now scattered and forgetful of their powers and immortality, living mortal human lives of supreme normalcy (Sersi is a New York party girl, while Makkari believes himself to be Bellevue ER doc Mark Curry). Meanwhile their age-old enemies, the Deviants, stalk the earth with nefarious intentions, and at least one of the super-duper-race Celestials (who created both Deviants and Eternals eons ago) may be returning to Earth. The source of all this forgetfulness and strife appears to be the eternally 11-year-old Sprite, who desires to be allowed to age like an actual human. It is easy to spot Gaiman's touch in this modern-day clash between ancient forces, as he shies away from Kirby's '70s-era, Chariots of God"style alien mythologizing to focus more on the characters' slow coming to grips with the enormity of their identity and the loss of humanity that comes from being an Eternal.
tsarstepan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 11:42 am
@djjd62,
Reserved The Eternals but couldn't reserve 1602 as the library doesn't have it.
0 Replies
 
Diest TKO
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Nov, 2009 07:56 pm
@djjd62,
OMG!! 1602 was a revelation! I loved it! So brilliant! How could I have forgot! Marvel at it's best!

Tsars - Be careful! When you read those, you might find yourself immediately reading the continuations of both. I'm still caught up in it! Cool

After identity crisis, you'll be tempted to read

JSA - Lightning saga
Countdown to Final Crisis
52
Batman - The Black Glove
Batman - RIP
Final Crisis

I guess it depends on how your wallet is feeling.

T
K
O
djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Sat 28 Nov, 2009 06:14 am
@Diest TKO,
the whole crisis saga is interesting, i've only read the tpb's and not the supporting books, i liked identity crisis, infinite crisis and a lot of 52, but was a little bored by countdown, but i'm looking forward to the tpb of final crisis (it's out in hardcover but i'm not paying that much for it)
0 Replies
 
 

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