Y the Last Man

Y the Last Man – A plague kills everything on Earth except for one man and his monkey. A road trip across the country, then the world, where women rule. Funny, original and everything that’s great about comics.

Fables – All your favorite fairy tale characters have been forced from their home and have regrouped in New York. All the characters are re-imagined for modern city life–or for those who don’t look like us–a farm upstate. This is about as far as I can go in describing this series from DC Comics Vertigo Imprint. Layered, fun and twists galore–check it out.

Walking Dead – The best zombie comic that’s not about zombies. Walking Dead is the continuing story of survival horror where human beings are usually your worst enemy. Utterly addicting.

Ex Machina – Superman meets The West Wing. Great political drama mixed with just enough superhero to keep it interesting. Smart, funny and one of the books we recommend with the most success to comic book virgins.

Ultimate Spider-Man – Marvel wanted to make a Spider-Man comic accessible to a younger audience and to those who didn’t want to sort through 40 years of continuity. They succeeded and made the best and most fun Spidey comic of the decade.

Blankets – The semi-autobiographical story of a young man’s first love and coming of age while dealing with a strict religious family. Blankets is a masterpiece–beautifully drawn and brutally honest.

Persepolis – An autobiographical look at the Iranian revolution through the eyes of a young girl. A fascinating look into a culture we rarely get an unfiltered look of.

Astonishing X-Men – Joss Whedon has done a lot of work in comics, but I think this is his best. John Cassady on art only makes it better. The best the X-Men have been in 20 years, and you don’t have to know anything about them to enjoy the hell out of this series.

Acme Novelty Library

Acme Novelty Library – Open any Chris Ware book and you’ll be amazed at the level of detail and imagination you find. Amazing stuff.

The Ultimates – The best popcorn movie in comic books. The Avengers re-tuned for our generation and the best action comic of the decade. Fun, fun, fun.

Eightball #23 – Daniel Clowes’ (Ghost World) dark humor at its finest. Clowes is one of indie comics’ greatest.

Queen & Country – Protagonist Tara Chace has all the faults you love in a hero. Smart, sexy, troubled and armed with the ability to put two bullets in your chest and not think twice. Any fan of a great espionage story would be hard-pressed to find a better one in any medium.

Powers – Detective Christian Walker used to be a superhero. He lost his powers and now investigates superhero-related crime with his partner, Deena. A great mix of adult crime drama and superhero whodunit from comics golden boy Brian Bendis.

Scott Pilgrim – 25-year-old Scott Pilgrim is everyone’s favorite slacker/boyfriend/band member. The video game generation is fully realized with a book that is just smart and fun to read.

All Star Superman

All Star Superman – Superman for those of us who think he’s a little cheesy. All Star Superman took everything we love and made it relevant for an aging audience.

Umbrella Academy – You might not like Gerard Way’s music, but the guy can write a damn fine comic. If Grant Morrison and Mike Mignola made sweet love, this book would be their baby. A really exciting take on the superhero genre with just enough of the weird to make you smile.

100 Bullets – 100 issues of the greatest crime/conspiracy book ever written. It’s like Altman’s Tennessee, only with characters who will cut your head off. Possibly the greatest example of what comics are capable of when it comes to development of fantastic characters.

Planetary – The best reinvention of the superhero genre since Watchmen. Warren Ellis’ masterpiece is one of the most original comics you’ll ever read.

Scalped – One of the most visceral and well-written crime comics ever written. The story of undercover FBI agent Dash Bad Horse on the Prairie Rose Indian reservation, this book never lets you catch your breath…just brutal.

The New Frontier

The New Frontier – Darwyn Cooke’s most acclaimed graphic novel to date–a look at the DC universe in the early ’60s. Cooke captures the look, innocence, camp and excitement of the period better than anyone I can think of.  A master storyteller.

Black Hole – Charles Burns’ opus on a sexually transmitted disease that mutates its teenage hosts physically. Burns’ beautiful black-and-white art set the mood, and his storytelling in this medium is unparalleled. I never felt creepier after reading a comic.

Punisher MAX – Punisher where he belongs: in a 100% adult comic. Garth Ennis takes a one-dimensional character and actually makes you give a shit. Brutally violent, funny at times and shocking when need be.

Perry Bible Fellowship

Perry Bible Fellowship – The funniest comic book of the decade, hands down. Far Side fans will love this book.

The Goon – Eric Powell’s creator-owned romp about a strong-arm enforcer in an underworld run by ghosts, ghouls, demons and other paranormal types. Funny, beautifully illustrated, 100% original but with a nod of respect to the great horror comics that have come before.

Sleeper – The best double-agent/superhero/bad-guys-win comic brought to you by the man who killed Captain America. Holden Carver blurs the line between good and evil, but you can’t help but pull for him. Great character work and impossible to put down–a noir lover’s dream.