1. Milligan's Shade the Changing Man
I first bought this book with either issue 11 or 14 strictly for the amazing McCarthy cover. That same week I went on a weekend high school Latin trip to a state contest. By the hotel we stayed at there was a comic book store and I bought all the preceding issues and generally ignored my classmates on the ride home.
Comics have always spoken to me, but this one bored into my brain and soul in ways nothing else has before or since. It was everything I ever wanted in a comic, well, except it ending and all. And granted the first 50 issues are better than that which followed, but it is hard to best near perfection.
I have bought the full run off ebay at least 4 times to give to others. And still, getting people to talk to me about this series is damned near impossible - I think it is mainly due to the fact that I mainly know bastards and such.
And still to this day I am fairly certain that nothing has helped shaped who I am today more than this book. I have not read it in a few years, and I no longer know what happened in what issue, but I still have such a firm grasp on the themes and characters. Seriously, this book happened at the exact time I needed it to happen in my life, and I will always be indebted to Peter Milligan for this series.
2. Morrison's Doom Patrol
I still remember that one panel in this book with those two military officials riding giant bouncy balls in the tunnels beneath the Pentagon like it was my own reflection. This is Morrison at his surrealist best. Danny the Street, a sentient transvestite street that can teleport, and Crazy Jane, a woman with 64 distinct personalities each with a separate superpower, were two of the most amazing characters ever created. This is no mere comic book, but a portal into the mindscape of a mad Scotsman. His twisted vision here is essentially a realization of his storyline, The Painting that Ate Paris.3. Brubaker & Rucka's Gotham Central
I admit when I first heard about this book I rolled my eyes. A view of Gotham City from the cops that patrol it. Hey, I liked NYPD Blue and such, but never enough to really care if I watched it or not. This book made me care about police work, or really the lives of cops. Renee Montoya, an implant from Batman: The Animated series, and Crispus Allen were just two amazingly compelling characters in a wonderful milieu of other great cops. And while I wish there was more Harvey Bullock in this series, that is about the only complaint I can give it. Just an overall excellent series.
4. Miller's Daredevil
I have never really cared about the life and many failures of a blind attorney named Matt Murdock. The basic premise behind the character is what else can man endure. But Miller's version made me care. I only read 2 or 3 issues when he was actually writing it, and they never did anything for me. But as a whole Miller took a near joke of a character and propelled him though trials that developed him far beyond his debilitating conditions. And while others have mimicked his approach, none have come even close. I now own this entire run in TPB - of a character I do not even life. That is quite telling, no?
5. O'Neil's The Question
I remember combing through the quarter bins at comic book stores and conventions in 8th and 9th grade trying to pick up every issue of this run. How did I not know of its greatness when it first came out? I think I first bought Question Quarterly #1 and realized what a mistake I had made not following this series all along. And that it was relegated to quarter bin status, WTF was/is wrong with comic book readers - this book is genius.
O'Neil re-crafted Ditko's faceless hero into a Zen based hero in the drying dregs of gritty urban Hub City. The book is about rebirth, as The Question dies on the last page of the first issue. And the rest of the far too brief series is about him trying to usher in a rebirth of Hub City. What more compelling reasons does there need to be to get you to read this?
6. Chaykin's American Flagg!
This is another series that I did not read when it was released. But am utterly enthused that I searched many back issue shops and quarter bins to find the whole series. Chaykin was so ahead of his time with this book, and the seriousness that he took to critiquing the world with his fantastic vision of the future. I have not read it in a long time, but now that it is finally starting to be collected this will have to change. Expect to see some words in the future about this one.
7. Vaughn's Y - The Last Man
I laughed to myself when I first heard the premise of this book. I expected easily dismissible sexual politics. But what I got was just one of the most excellent stories I have ever read. Yorrik's quest was a compelling read that never got old. I also sort of fell in love with 355. And seriously wanted an ampersand of my own. Vaughn never fell to the wrong side of convention and made every character shine with personality. Sure the premise was outlandish, but he never made me think so when i was reading it.
8. Ostrander's Suicide Squad (1st series)
A spotlight for DC Comic's villains to shine, well shine or die really. Sure it has been done before and since, but never better than this poorly received series. Amanda Waller simply is one the best characters ever put to page. Her willingness to take things as far as needed, makes her beyond bad ass. Her, Deadshot and Captain Boomerang's dealings and counter dealing made for such an amazing read. Add in the interplay of Rick Flagg and Bronze Tiger with the underhandedness of the villains and one pretty much winds up with a wow sandwich.
9. Andreyko's Manhunter
I never cared for a Manhunter in my life before Andreyko created Kate Spenser. She is an amazingly strong female character who has flaws that one could dance the waltz through. And they only make her a better character. Plus you get Chase, Mr. Bones, and an array of wonderful D-list DC characters. This is such a great gritty book.
10. Mantlo's Cloak and Dagger
I am not sure if this is here because I really liked this series or because I really liked this series as a kid. But I read comics regularly before reading the Cloak and Dagger mini series that I plucked up for a buck for all four issues at some comic book shop way back when. After though, I was beyond obsessed by comics. I read them with such gusto and the characters populated my dreams both when i was sleeping and not.
I have not read these early issues in ages, but I know that Bill Mantlo stories sculpted me into a lifetime comics fan.
So expect to see stuff similar to these books reviewed with far more depth here.
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