Thirty Essential Graphic Novels (from DC)

DC is touting a list of 30 essential graphic novels (from DC or one of their imprints).

Here are the best-selling titles that you must read – whether you are just beginning to discover graphic novels or you are an established fan looking to expand your collection.

The title count is only 28 because two of them are volumes 1 and 2.  I’ve marked in bold the ones that I’ve read (and own).

1. Watchmen –  the first comic to really look at the realism behind vigilantes in longjohns.  Brilliant work by Alan Moore.
2. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (vols 1 & 2) –  Deconstruction and reconstruction of various 19th Century “heroic” characters, rich with cultural references that makes all the fantastical literature of the era real.  The first volume is better than the second, but both are excellent.
3. V for Vendetta – A third by Alan Moore, and one of his earlier works.  A tale of terror, tyranny, and anarchy.
4. Sandman, vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes – The first collection of Gaiman’s epic — and, ironically, the weakest, as he finds his voice, his character, and its place in the DC Universe.  Still, I’d call it  must-read.
5. Sandman: Endless Nights – My first disagreement with the list, not so much because it isn’t excellent, but because I wouldn’t pick it out from the other Sandman tales out there.
6. Fables, vol. 1: Legends in Exile – First collection of Bill Willingham’s integration of fairy tales into modern life. Brilliant, funny, poignant.  Triffic stuff.
7. Superman for All Seasons –  Excellent retelling of the Superman origin, giving him a humanity that is, ironically, all too often missing from the icon.
8. Superman: Birthright – Sort of a “Superman, Year One” from Mark Waid.  Supposed to be pretty good.
9. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies – The DC relaunch of Superman/Batman, harkening back to the “World’s Finest” days, was fun, and treated both characters (and their relationships) interestingly, but I wouldn’t call it a must-read.
10. Batman: Arkham Asylum – Missed it.
11. Batman: The Long Halloween – A 12-month maxi-series by Loeb & Sales, touching on most of the Batman rogue’s gallery.  A good, solid tale, as representative of Batman as anything else I can think of.
12. Batman: Dark Victory – A sequel to The Long Halloween, though not as good.  Not sure I’d call it essential.
13. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Frank Miller’s amazing view of Batman and his world, twenty years into the future.  Stunning.
14. Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again – Miller goes back to the Dark Knight well, but not nearly as effectively.  I wouldn’t put this on the list.
15. Batham: Year One – A very solid telling of Batman’s career beginnings in Gotham. 
16. Batman: Hush, (vols 1 & 2) – Never read it.
17. Kingdom Come – It’s twenty years from now, most of this generation of heroes has retired or died, and the world is seized with increasing chaos as metahumans — both “heroes” and “villains” — increase their levels of violence and disregard for humanity.  Brilliant future-spinning by Mark Waid and art by Alex Ross.
18. Identity Crisis  – Only in DC’s dreams.  The series was interesting, and certainly as a reference point to the current state of the DCU, it’s valuable.  But it wouldn’t be anywhere on my top “best stories” list.
19. JLA; New World Order – The beginning of the Grant Morrison “JLA as Demi-Gods” series.  Brilliant.
20. Green Lantern: Rebirth – An entertaining reboot of Hal Jordan and his return as a Green Lantern — but not essential, except for, well, GL fans.
21. Crisis on Infinite Earths – The first universe-altering DC event.  Ironically, nearly all of the things it changed have either been changed back in the last twenty years, or else changed further.  Still, an essential.
22. Transmetropolitan, vol 1: Back on the Street – Never got into this.
23. The Quitter – Never heard of it until now.
24. Hellblazer: Original Sins – One of the earliest John Constantine collections, and a quite nice one.  I’d probably have chosen Books of Magic instead, though.
25. Y, the Last Man, vol. 1: Unmanned – This Brian Vaughan series about a world where all the men have died — but one — is excellent; I’ve read the originals, but don’t collect the trades.  Not essential, but well done.
26. Kamakaze Kaito Jeanne – Never heard of it.
27. Sword of the Dark Ones – Never heard of it.
28. Ex Machina, vol. 1: The First Hundred Days – Another excellent Vaughan series, about a former hero elected New York mayor.  Again, I don’t have the collections, but read the issues.

So, not a bad list.  A few things I’d drop — and I’d have to check my collection for things I’d put in.  Kelson has some suggestions, and good ones.  If DC includes the Wildstorm ‘verse, there’s no excuse for not including Planetary or The Authority.  And, as he notes, there are a lot more heroes in the DCU than just Superman/Batman; maybe the Perez Wonder Woman reboot, or Wolfman/Perez on New Teen Titans.

On the other hand, except for the ones I don’t know about, there isn’t anything on the list above that I wouldn’t recommend folks read, so …