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| Trade Paperback |
By Jamie Delano, John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala
The tale of John Constantine is one that extends all the way back to Alan Moore's legendary run on horror book, the Saga of Swamp Thing. By the time Constantine was granted his own series, the character had gained a respectable following among comic book fans, and the first storyline of his solo series was an example of just how fantastic a book about a supernatural detective could be. Violence, horror and comedy all lie within as each loosely collected tale continues and astounds in this first volume.
Available in: Trade Paperback
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| Hardcover Edition |
By Frank Miller
There are some comic book writers and artists who just have a knack for conveying a cinematic visual style to their books. Frank Miller is probably the most engaging and powerful of these writer/artists, with many of his images sticking in the mind for years, and developing a sense of the books they appeared in; Elektra's murder in "Daredevil," the black-and-white noir style of "Sin City" and the showdown between Superman and Batman in "The Dark Knight Returns" all stand as compelling moments in comic book history. It's this book, though; a staggering tale of war that stands as his most engaging piece of cinematic artwork; a constant slew of double-page spreads, featuring graphic violence and immaculate detail, this is a passionate piece of truly marvellous work.
Available in: Hardcover
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| US Edition |
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| UK Edition |
By Bryan Lee O'Malley
The most memorable moments in the entire Scott Pilgrim series all occur in the penultimate volume of the epic tale of a superhero slacker. It's a volume entirely dedicated to the emotional growth of Scott and Ramona's relationship, and character development as a whole. The action takes a back-seat for the majority of the volume, meaning that we get to understand Scott as a character; there's also some truly heartbreaking moments and one hell of a fantastic cliffhanger at the end. This is, easily, the best and most unexpected volume of the Scott Pilgrim series; "The Empire Strikes Back," as it were.
Available in: US Edition and UK Edition
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| Premiere Hardcover |
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| "The Death of Gwen Stacy" Trade |
By Stan Lee, John Romita, Gerry Conway and Gil Kane
Two of the most controversial game-changing moments in the history of Spider-Man occurred as the character entered his second decade of existence. Firstly, Stan Lee killed off Captain Stacy, the father of Peter Parker's longtime girlfriend, Gwen. Then, a few years later, Gerry Conway decided the time was right to have a final showdown between Spider-Man and his arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin; and so, Gwen was killed off, as the catalyst to this. This death had such an impact on that character that it has never been reversed; Gwen is one of Spider-Man's ultimate failures - the woman he loved died because of his actions. It's chilling stuff, particularly when you consider this series was being written for children at the time. The stories have also been reprinted in separate volumes, "The Death of Captain Stacy" and "The Death of Gwen Stacy," respectively.
Available in: Premiere Hardcover
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| Omnivore Edition |
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| "Taster's Choice" Trade |
By John Layman and Rob Guillory
The best independent comic book of the last five years, "Chew," presented a unique concept to it's readers, as well as a radical art style that fit perfectly with the tongue-in-cheek tone of the book. There's mystery, intrigue, violence and brutal amounts of gore to be found within; but most importantly, there's a unique sense of heart and a wonderful blend of ridiculousness and comedy. The contents of this volume have also been released as "Taster's Choice" and "International Flavor."
Available in: Omnivore Edition
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| Definitive Edition |
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| "Operation: Broken Ground" Trade |
By Greg Rucka, Steve Rolston, Brian Hurtt and Leondro Fernandez
"Queen and Country" is easily the most engaging comic book of the early 2000s; it tells an incredibly intricate tale of espionage and violence, steeping in the politics of the British government. It's a spy story in a realistic world, where nobody is James Bond, and anybody can die at any moment. Each storyline features a new, unique artist, whose interpretations of the characters are always different but never less than fantastic. The book perfectly balances the world of violence with the world of politics, making for a series that never feels rushed or unoriginal. This is the work of Greg Rucka's career. The contents of this volume have also been released as "Operation: Broken Ground," "Operation: Morning Star" and "Operation: Crystal Ball."
Available in: Paperback
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| Omnibus Edition |
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| "Gifted" Trade |
By Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
The creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Joss Whedon has a reputation of penning scripts with strong female characters; so it makes perfect sense for him to work on the X-Men and make Kitty Pryde the lead. It's essentially a season of Buffy featuring mutants; there's drama, action, shocks and enough fan-pleasing moments to keep hardcore fans happy, while not alienating the newcomers. The entire run by Whedon features the brilliant art of John Cassaday, who brings life and tension to the world of the X-Men. The contents of this volume have also been released as "Gifted," "Dangerous," "Torn" and "Unstoppable."
Available in: Omnibus Edition
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| Hardcover Edtion |
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| "The Outfit" Hardcover |
By Darwyn Cooke
The novels of Richard Stark are some of the most electrifying pieces of fiction ever produced; tales of the notorious criminal, Parker, and his violent escapades captivated over the course of forty years, and it is cartoonist, Darwyn Cooke, who has finally found a way to translate Stark's novels into the medium of graphic novels. A wonderfully layered, gritty and yet, strangely humorous tale, this first volume in an expected series features Cooke's unique animated style and some of the most visually stunning grey tone violence ever printed. The follow-up, "The Outfit," has also been published.
Available in: Hardcover
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| Hardcover Edition |
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| "Until the End of the World" Trade |
By Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
One of the most controversial and critically acclaimed graphic series of all time, "Preacher" propelled Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon to stardom within the comic book community. Their tale of a cynical Preacher who is merged with a mysterious new Deity and decides to confront God over his inability to control the world was heralded as a classic even before it's run was complete. This first volume charts the start of the Preacher's journey, as he comes into contact with an ex-girlfriend with a dark secret and a wisecracking Irish vampire, and also features a look into the dark world in which he was raised. The second half of the book is, arguably, the greatest single volume of any series ever published. The contents of this book have also been published in trade paperback form as "Gone to Texas" and "Until the End of the World."
Available in: Hardcover
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| Deluxe Edition |
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| "New World Order" Trade |
By Grant Morrison, Howard Porter and John Dell
This series is the reason I love comic books. The JLA was one of those series that got a lot of people back into comics again after a long spell away; this comic defined the latter half of the 1990s for many comic book readers. And it was one of the first things I read when I got into comic books in the early 2000s, and even then, I knew most of it already; it's that ingrained in the fabric of comic books. The first half of the book, and the stronger of the two stories within, tells of an alien invasion disguised as a peace offering, which cripples the JLA, all except Batman, who methodically destroys the oppressors and reunites the team to save the day. The second half mires itself in the continuity of the time, but it is still fun and unique. This is one of the greatest runs on a comic book ever published, and should be experienced by everyone. The contents of this volume have also been published in trade paperback form as "New World Order" and "American Dreams."
Available in: Deluxe Edition
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