"Hey Alex, I know you love comics, and I love the art and artists you share and the writer lives, but, with the world of film being infected by comics, I think I should say, I think costumed super heroes are stupid. I think everything about them is stupid. I think they are juvenile, I think the concept behind them is juvenile. Most people by now are thinking, "where is the attack on me here?", well I love what you write and what you write about and love the interviews, because talented people are such even if they employ their talents in a field that is, well, juvenile. Since I trust your taste, I like what you write, and write about, I want to offer you a challenge. Give me a list of comics, since the world including you love them so, without super heroes. Is it possible?"
A bit should be explained from my perspective. I appreciate people who can remain interested in the potential of something, even if what they see is something that offends their sense of normal or possible. My father was not highly educated but he was bright enough to make a very good living for his family from very modest beginnings. But when he saw the start of Star Wars on ABC television, which my mother had seen with me, he looked at her and said, what kind of person spends time watching this kind of garbage. He had no measure of interest in anything that he couldn't prove or couldn't imagine being. It wasn't that he was dull, he mentally had not even the smallest interest in anything that bordered on fantasy or imagination. So, I grew to appreciate all forms of entertainment, because, not only was I limited to a certain bit of entertainment, I yearned to see more. My dad loved football, and while he watched every sort of professional and most college sports, football was his favorite. And I love football, but, I've gone years without watching it, and think it can be great, but, it is a sport, and I don't play it, so it has only so much mileage for me. On the other hand, fantasy, imagination, movies, books, games and film are limitless.
Having said that all, I understand that the concept of super heroes fails you. And, honestly, when I watched the last 20 years of super hero movies, most didn't actually work for me, even those now that get so very much praise. To me, a comic has no limits save the imagination of writer and artist, so, films based on comics, in order to appeal to both the comic reader and the film goer, not necessarily a common group of people, there is a disconnect. I either see works that try to so mimic the comic canon and ideas, it loses the rest of the world, or tells a story acceptable to the masses, even looking like the comic in question, but loses me in the fact that almost all of them could have been so much more. So even though I have many comic book super hero comics, I don't watch the movies. We are not so dissimilar perhaps, or perhaps we have a common outlook that the movies just work for a certain way of looking at it.
The trade paperbacks and graphic novels I'll offer are in groups, and will be almost free of comic book super heroes, if they exist, they are only in the background. With two exceptions, one because whatever it looks like it really isn't a super hero, and the other is, but really isn't if you accept the story for what it is. I will explain more as the article goes further. Also, almost completely I've used books that are in whole form. While comic books do well in TPB and original Graphic Novel, they are also easily found in sequential chapter form. Single issues give you a taste of the whole, rather than one comic one story. That works for some people, it doesn't for others. A couple of the books shown are single entries, but they ought to be collected in TPB format. Sometimes, while not all nor even often any or most of the time, I know more than certain publishers.
MAUS won a Pulitzer prize, and the rest of these are critically acclaimed. While I might have various quibbles, with titles, factual interpretations, or aim, these are worth time to read, and will linger with you.
WAR, HISTORY AND PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Vampires, and Dracula the most famous of them, have a longstanding appeal. The choices offered are dark, moody, scary and well done. I offer two that are illustrated prose, but the art, by Ben Templesmith and Jae Lee more than make up fewer pics and having to read prose. Other books feature demonic characters. But, unlike most "real" demons, four of these offered are actually on the side of good.
THE SUPERNATURAL
Whether cyber punk, future science fiction, cloning, hybrid breeding, porn, Brave New Worldesque fears, this section has a couple of my favorite works in it. I suggest giving them all a view and prepare to be rather moved.
SCIENCE FANTASY AND FICTION
Badger is a super hero, so to speak, and Richard Dragon interacts with super heroes, but, all of these are fun, and if you are interested in Kung Fu movies, they do a very good job of making homage while still telling their own story. I love Master of Kung Fu with Paul Gulacy art, it is a perfect story and character for his beautiful art.
GIANT ROBOTS AND KUNG FU
If you believe in future dystopia, symbolism, big ideas, or adventure, these represent books for you to search for. While they are all different, they share the quality of being excellent.
ACTION AND COSMIC
The subjects Cleveland Torso Slayings, Crime families, JFK assassination, criminal honor and robot crime solvers are amazingly ripe for story telling in the world of sequential art. I am not a huge western fan, but, the five offered here, particularly Jonah Hex and Justice Riders will blow you away with the depth of story, and perfection of the art.
CRIME AND WESTERN
I love fantasy. I love space wars. The books offered here are magnificent. They are violent, spiritual, dark, and even tender. Two of the books offered show some eroticism, so, check out each for your own trigger warnings.
FANTASY AND SPACE WARS
Some of the names that reappear in the sections are top professionals in the world of comics. I do not apologize for including any one, I just thought I should point out some of them.
Grant Morrison
Timothy Truman
Chuck Dixon
Warren Ellis
Steven Grant
Steve Niles
Ben Templesmith
Mike Baron
Moebius
Ashley Wood
Masamune Shirow
And I want to say, while I like these books, the avoidance of super heroes leaves some great works out. Particularly I think the run of Green Arrow by Mike Grell, and the Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison are worthy.
CONCLUSION
I promise, there are hundreds more great books in the last 20 years alone that are not super hero genre that are amazing. I hope anyone reading these will explore the works but also seek out and read more by any of the creative people.
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