Issue 1

Going back in time to middle 90's, comics began with me the introduction of Spawn. I bought an issue at a grocery store, it was number one, and the reason for buying was for the cover. That was it, nothing more than a cover, I won't comment much on the writing for that issue, but all stories have a beginning and this is mine.

The energy and enthusiasm of the years following and, in some ways these books that opened new doors, set new standards, did things that comics had never dared to do before. Sandman and Spider, Constantine and Swamp Thing, Preacher, Sin City, Tim Hunter, Astro City and, perhaps the greatest story in the history of comic books, Cerebus: these were ideas that I, as a reader, cared passionately about. I enjoyed their company—and looked forward to their evolution. Unfortunately, for reasons that I have never been able to remember, I strayed from the serialized superhero genre, and started to look forward to the finite miniseries, later collected into what has been coined The Graphic Novel. Marvels, The Golden Age, Earth X, Stardust, The Long Halloween, Whiteout, and Kingdom Come hardly need explanations.

Over the past few months, I have spent many hours recreating my collection digitally, easier to move and share that way. I have also been able to complete collections now digitally, that I wasn't financially able to do so earlier in my life. This all began rather simply in the middle of 2010. A trip to a Barnes and Noble, and I was changed, I picked up, but didn't buy it, a rather informative book on 500 Essential Graphic Novels, and it's a paperback and offers short reviews and submissions of this genre of literature. The book was sectioned off into chapters detailing a sub genre of this literature, the best fantasy related, the best crime related, the best science fiction related, and so on. I spent a little while skimming the book and this renewed my interest in comics, which has been lacking for the past few years. So the next step is to share what I learned. This could be fun.

Chapter 1 - Adventure

Top Ten

• The Yellow M
• Disney's Duck Tales Stories: Volume 1
• In The Night Kitchen
• Leave it to Chance Volume 1: Shaman's Rain
• Lone Wolf And Cub Volume 1: The Assassin's Road
• Orient Gateway
• Owly: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer
• Prince Valiant Volume 20: The Pilgrimage
• The Towers Of Bois-Maury Volume 1: Babette
• The Complete Classic Adventures of Zorro

Best Of The Rest

• Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures: Volume 1
• Blackjack: Blood And Honour
• Bookhunter
• Blade Of The Immortal
• James Bond: Casino Royale
• Gon: Volume 1
• Gunsmith Cats, Revised Edition: Volume 1
• Lady Snowblood
• Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152
• The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
• Naruto: Volume 1
• The Rocketeer
• Skidmarks
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 1
• The Complete Terry And The Pirates Volume 1: 1934-1936
• Tintin In Tibet
• Tor: Volume 1
• Usagi Yojimbo: Book 1

Chapter 2 - Non-Fiction
Top Ten

• Alice In Sunderland
• American Splendor: The Life And Times Of Harvey Pekar
• Justin Green's Binky Brown Sampler
• Blankets
• Epileptic
• Maus: A Survivor's Tale Volumes 1 And 2
• The Minotaur's Tale
• * Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood
• Pyonyang
• Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

Best Of The Rest

• Alex
• Borgia: Blood For The Pope
• Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu
• Cancer Vixen
• A Cartoon History Of The Universe Volume 1
• Casanova's Last Stand
• Chicken With Plums
• Dori Stories: The Complete Dori Seda
• Drawing Comics is Easy (Except When It's hard)
• Embroideries
• Ethel And Ernest
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
• I Love Led Zeppelin
• Indian Summer
• It's a Bird
• Kafka: Give It Up And Other Short Stories
• King: Acomics Biography Of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Louise Riel: A Comic-Strip Book
• Laika
• Love That Bunch
• Making Comics
• Malcolm X
• Mom's Cancer
• My Troubles With Women
• Need More Love
• Notes From A Defeatist
• Our Cancer Years
• Pedro And Me [looks like saccarine bullshit]
• The Playboy
• The Plot: The Secret Story of The protocols Of The Elders Of Zion
• The Salon
• Shenzen
• The Spiral Cage
• True Story, Swear To God: Chances Are
• Two Fisted Science: Stories About Scientists
• The Times Of Botchan
• Yukiko's Spinach

Chapter 3 - Crime / Mystery
Top Ten

• 100 Bullets Volume 1: First Shot, Last Call
• Paul Auster's City Of Glass
• The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, Volume 1: 1931 - 1933
• A History Of Violence
• Human Target: Final Cut
• Kane Book 1: Greetings From New Eden
• Road To Perdition
• Sin City: The Hard Goodbye
• The Best Of The Spirit
• Whiteout

Best Of The Rest

• After The Rain
• Alias Volume 1
• Brodie's Law: Project Jameson
• The Chuckling Whatsit
• The EC Archives: Crime Suspenstories Volume 1
• Criminal Volume 1: Coward
• Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery
• Crying Freeman
• The Drowners
• Grendel: Devil By The Deed
• Greyshirt: Indigo Sunset
• Harum Scarum: The Spiffy Adventures of McConey Volume 1
• Ice Haven
• Kabuki: Circle Of Blood
• The Losers Volume 1: Ante Up
• London's Dark
• Lupin The Third Volume 1 (World's Most Wanted)
• Modesty Blaise: Bad Suki
• Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 1
• Nightmare Alley
• Outlaw Nation
• Oldboy Volume 1
• Queen & Country: The Definitive Edition Volume 1
• Power Volume 1: Who Killed Retro Girl?
• Ring Of Roses
• Rex Mundi Book 1: The Guardian Of The Temple
• Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Tarantula
• Sanctuary
• Scene Of The Crime: A Little Piece Of Goodnight
• Silverfish
• The Steel Claw: The Vanishing Man
• A Treasure of Victorian Murder: The Borden Tragedy
• Why Are You Doing This?

Chapter 4 - Fantasy

Top Ten

• Bone: One Volume
• The Chronicles Of Conan Volume 1: Tower Of The Elephants and Other Stories
• Fables: Legends In Exile
• Heart Of Empire: The Legacy Of Luther Arkwright
• Little Nemo In Slumberland
• Marie Gabrielle
• The Compleat Moonshadow
• Promethea
• Sandman Volume 3 - Dream Country
• Slaine: Book Of Invasions Volume 1

Best Of The Rest

• Abadaz: The Road To Inconceivable
• Asterix And The Great Crossing
• Birdland
• The Book of Ballads
• The Books Of Magic
• The Books Of Magic: Bindings
• Castle Waiting
• Cheech Wizard
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Volume 1
• Death: The High Cost of Living
• Dungeon Volume 1: Duck Heart
• Elfquest Archives Volume 1
• Fables: 1001 Nights Of Snowfall
• Fairy Tales Of Oscar Wilde, Vol 1: The Selfish Giant & The Star Child
• The Frank Book
• Fushigi Yugi
• Inuyasha Volume 1
• Lenore: Noogies
• Light Brigade
• Little Ego
• Lucifer Volume 1: Devil In The Gateway
• Louis: Lying To Clive
• The Magic Flute
• Moomin: The Complete Tove jansson Comic Strip (Vol 1.)
• Oh My Goddess: Volume 1
• One Piece Volumer 1: Romance Dawn
• Pop Gun War
• Scary Godmother: The Boo Flu
• Skeleton Key Volume 1: Beyond The Threshold
• Steampunk: Manimatron
• Suckle: The Status Of Basil
• Thorgal: Child Of The Stars
• Three Fingers
• The Yellow Jar: Two Tales From Japanese Tradition

Chapter 5 - General Fiction
Top Ten

• Bardin The Surrealist
• Cerebus: Church And State
• The Contract With God Trilogy: Life On Dropsie Avenue
• Ghost World
• Jar Of Fools
• Locas: The Maggie And Hopey Stories
• Signal To Noise
• A Small Killing
• Stuck Rubber Baby
• The Tale Of One Bad Rat

Best Of The Rest

• American Born Chinese
• B. Krigstein: Comics
• Ballad Of The Salt Sea
• Berlin: City Of Stones
• The Birthday Riots
• Blue
• Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
• Box Office Poison
• Brooklyn Dreams
• A Child's Life And Other Stories
• Can't Get No
• Cerebus: High Society
• Click
• Clyde Fans: Books 1
• The Complete Omaha The Cat Dancer Volume 1
• Corridor
• Couscous Express
• Curses
• Dead Memory
• Demo
• Dykes To Watch out For
• The Exended Dream Of Mr. D.
• Fagin The Jew
• Flood! A Nolve in Pictures
• The Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience In San Francisco, 1904-1924
• Gemma Bovery
• Get A Life
• The Golem's Mighty Swing
• Good-Bye, Chunky Rice
• Hicksville
• In Search Of Shirley
• It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken
• The Jew Of New York
• Jimbo In Purgatory
• Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: Stories
• Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid The World
• Kidnapped
• King Lear: Graphic Shaklespeare
• Kings In Disguise: A Novel
• La Perdita
• Lost Girls
• Mail Order Bride
• Nemi
• Mirror, Window: An Artbabe Collection
• The Comical Tragedy Or Tragical Comedy Of Mr. Punch
• The New Adventures Of Jesus: The Second Coming
• Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories
• Paul Has A Summer Job
• Remembrance Of Things Past: Within A Budding Grove
• The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
• Robot Dreams
• Same Difference & Other Stories
• The EC Archives: Shock Suspenstories Volume 1
• Slow News Day
• Smoke
• Sshhhh!
• Strangers In Paradise: Pocket Book 1
• Stray Toasters
• Streak Of Chalk
• Summer Blonde
• The Summer Of Love
• Tangents
• The Three paradoxes
• Tricked
• Video Girl AI Volume 1: Preproduction
• Violent Cases
• Wet Moon Volume 1: Feeble Wanderings
• Wind Of The Gods Volume 1: Blood From The Moon
• Whoa, Nellie!

Chapter 6 - Horror
Top Ten

• Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits
• Hellboy Volume 3 : The Chained Coffin And Other Stories
• Hellspawn: The Ashley Wood Collection
• Preacher: Gone To Texas
• The Sandman Volume 1: Preludes And Nocturnes
• Skin Deep: Tales Of Doomed Romance
• Strange Embrace
• Swamp Thing Volume 1: Saga Of The Swamp Thing
• The EC Archives: Tales From The Crypt Volume 1
• The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone By

Best Of The Rest

• 30 Days Of Night
• B.P.R.D. Volume 3: Plague Of Frogs
• Black Hole
• Blood: A Tale
• Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home
• Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Collected Best, Volume 1
• Courtney Crumrin And The Night Things
• Death Note, Volume 1
• Dr Jeckyll And Mr Hyde: A Graphic Novel
• The Goon Volume 1: Nothin' But Misery
• Fiends of The Eastern Front
• Hell Baby
• Black Cat (Hino Horror, Book 6)
• Hellblazer: All His Engines
• Collected Hook Jaw Volume 1
• Museum Of Terror Volume 1
• Marvel Zombies
• Nocturnals Volume 1: Black Planet
• Ode To Kirohito
• Pure Trance
• The Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror Hoodoo Voodoo Brouhaha
• Six Hundred And Seventy Six Apparitions Of Killoffer
• Swamp Thing: Dark Genesis
• Essential Tomb of Dracula: Volume 1
• Uzumaki
• Zombie World: Champion of the Worms

Chapter 7 - Humour
Top Ten

• Buddy Does Seattle
• The Complete Calvin And Hobbes
• The Complete Crumb Comics Volume 8
• The Cowboy Wally Show
• Flaming Carrot Volume 3: Flaming Carrot's Greatest Hits
• Groo: Library
• He Done Her Wrong
• Liberty Meadowns Book 1: Eden
• Quimby The Mouse
• Tank Girl: Volume 1

Best Of The Rest

• Action Philosophers: Volume 1
• The Amazing Mr Pleebus
• The Adventures Of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey
• Amphigorey
• Archie Americana Series: Best Of The Fifties
• Beg The Question
• The Big Book Of Hell
• Big Fat Little Lit
• The Best Of Bijou Funnies
• Billy Hazelnuts
• Birth of A Nation: A Comic Novel
• Blue Monday, Volume 1: The Kids Are Alright
• Book Of Leviathan
• The Book Of Mr. Natural
• Clumsy
• Collected Hutch Owen
• Dame Darcy's Meatcake Compilation
• The Complete D.R. & Quinch
• The Doofus Omnibus
• The Collected Dork Tower Volume 1: Dork Covenant
• The Complete Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Volume 1
• Fred The Clown
• Fun With Milk And Cheese
• The Greatest Of Marlys
• A Gregory Treasure Volume 1
• Grickle
• Hey, Mister: Celebrity Roast
• Jane's World
• Johnny The Homocidal Maniac: Director's Cut
• Krazy & Ignatz 1943-1944: He Nods In Quiesscent Siesta
• Leonard & Larry: Domesticity Isn't Pretty
• Life's A Bitch: The Bitchy Bitch Chronicles
• L'il Santa
• Little Annie Fanny: Volume 1
• The Louche And Insalubrious Escapades Of Art D'Ecco
• A Lucky Luke Adventure: Billy The Kid
• Magic Whistle Volume 9
• Maison Ikkoku: Volume 1
• Mister O
• Monkey Vs. Robot
• Peanutbutter and Jeremy's Best Book Ever!
• Peepshow: The Cartoon Diary Of Joe Matt
• The Complete Peanuts 1950-1952
• Pogo: Complete Daily & Sunday Strips Vol 1: Into The Wild Blue Wonder
• Popeye Volume 1: I Yam What I Yam!
• Premillennial Maakies: The First Five Years
• Ranma 1/2
• Pussey!
• The Collected Sam & Max: Surfin' The Highway
• Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life: Volume 1
• Sugar Buzz: Your Ticket To Happiness
• Spy Vs. Spy: The Complete Case Book
• Temptation
• Tantrum
• The Pro
• Underworld Volume 5: My Little Funny
• Too Much Coffee Man: Guide For The Perplexed
• White Flower Day
• Why I Hate Saturn

Chapter 8 - Science Fiction
Top Ten

• Akira Volume 1
• Concrete Volume 1: Depths
• Ghost In The Shell Volume 1
• Hard Boiled
• The Invisibles Volume 1: Say You Want A Revolution
• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 01
• The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1
• Star Wars: Dark Empire I And II
• Transmetropolitan: Back On The Street
• V For Vendetta

Best Of The Rest

• 2020 Visions
• A.B.C. Warriors: The Black Hole
• Abraxas And The Earthman
• A.L.I.E.E.E.N.: Archives Of Lost Issues
• Aliens Omnibus Volume 1
• American Flagg
• Appleseen Book 1: The promethean Challenge
• Astro Boy Volume 1
• Astronauts In Trouble: Live From The Moon
• Complete Ballad Of Halo Jones
• Battle Angel Alita Volume 1
• Battle Royale
• Billi 99
• Blackmark
• A Distant Soil
• Classic Dan Dare: Voyage To Venus Part 1
• Doctor Who: The Iron Legion
• Morbus Gravis I: Druuna
• Fafhrd And Gray Mouser
• The Fountain
• Full Metal Alchemist
• Girl Genius Volume 1: Agatha Hertodyne And The Beetleburg Clank
• Glacial Period
• Global Frequency: Planet Ablaze
• Illegal Alien
• Judge Dredd: Origins
• Kamandi
• Chaos: Lone Sloane
• Ministry of Space
• Mister X: The Definitive Collection Volumes 1 And 2
• Mars
• Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind: Volume 1
• The Complete Nemesis The Warlock Volume 1
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Nexus Archives Volume 1
• Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Nikolai Dante: The Romanov Dynasty
• The Originals
• Phoenix Volume 4: Karma
• Rocco Vargas: The Whisper Mystey
• Rocketo: Journey To The Hidden Sea Volume 1
• Ronin
• Scarlet Traces
• Skizz
• Wandering Star: Volume 1
• Waterloo Sunset
• WE3
• The EC Archives: Weird Science Volume 1
• Y: The Last Man

Chapter 9 - Superheroes
Top Ten

• Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories Of Alan Moore
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
• Batman: Hush Volumes 1 And 2
• Essential Fantastic Four Volume 3
• Marvels
• Planetary Volume 1: All Over The World And Other Stories
• Spawn Collected Edition Volume 1
• Essential Spider-Man, Volume 2
• The Ultimates Volume 1
• Watchmen

Best Of The Rest

• All Star Comics Archives, Volume 1
• All Star Superman Volume 1
• Animal Man
• Astonishing X-Men Volume 1: Gifted
• Astro City: Life In The Big City
• The Authority: Relentless
• The Avengers: The Kree-Skrull War
• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Batman: Year One
• Birds Of Prey, Volume 1: Of Like Minds
• Bratpack
• Marvel Masterworks: Captain America Volume 1
• Civil War
• Crisis On Infinite Earths
• Crisis On Multiple Earths Volume 1
• Daredevil By Frank Miller Omnibus Companion
• Doom Patrol, Book 1: Crawling From The Wreckage
• Electra: Assassin
• The Essential Doctor Strange, Volume 1
• Ex Machina, Volume 1: The First Hundred Days
• Definitive Silver Surfer
• Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 1
• Godland Volume 1: Hello Cosmic!
• Green Lantern / Green Arrow Collection Volume 1
• Green Arrow: Quiver
• I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets!
• Identity Crisis
• Incredible Hulk: Return Of The Monster
• Invincible: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1
• Iron Man: Demon In A Bottle
• Jack Kirby's New Gods
• Jack Staff, Volume 1: Everything Used To Be Black And White
• Justice League: A New Beginning
• Kingdom Come
• Madman: The Oddity Odyssey
• Mage: The Hero Defined Volume 2
• Manhunter: The Special Edition
• Marshal Law: Fear And Loathing
• Marvel 1602
• The Plastic Man Archives, Volume 1
• Plastic Man: On The Lam
• Shade, The Changing Man: The American Scream
• Shazam! Archives, Volume 1
• Spider-Girl Volume 1: Legacy
• Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt
• Starman: Sins Of The Father
• Superman: The Death Of Superman
• Superman: The Man Of Steel
• Supreme: The Story Of The Year
• Thor Visionaries: Walter Simonson Volume 1
• Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning
• Top Ten: Book 1
• Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility
• Wolverine
• Wonder Woman Archives: Volume 1
• Wonder Woman Volume 1: Gods And Mortals
• X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga

Chapter 10 - War
Top Ten

• The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
• 300
• Barefoot Gen Volume 1: A Cartoon Story Of Hiroshima
• Charley's War: 2 June - 1 August 1916
• The Fixer: A Story From Sarajevo
• Last Day In Vietnam
• Palestine
• Pride Of Baghdad
• When The Wind Blows
• Yossel

Best Of The Rest

• Adolf Volume 1
• Adventures In The Rifle Bridage
• Age Of Bronze Volume 1: A Thousand Ships
• Artesia: Book of Doom
• Battle Hymn: Farewell To The First Golden Age
• Crécy
• DMZ Volume 1: On The Ground
• Golgo 13 Volume 1: Supergun
• In The Shadow Of No Towers
• The Life And Times Of Martha Washington in the 21st Century
• Notes For A War Story
• Safe Area Gorazde: The War In Eastern bosnia 1992-1995
• Marvel Masterworks: Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos, Volume 1
• The Sgt. Rock Archives, Volume 1
• To Afghanistan And Back: A Graphic Travelogue
• The EC Archives: Two Fisted Tales Volume 1
• War Stories Volume 2
• White Death