Naming the best comic books of all time is no easy task, with each new decade delivering an instant-classic from Marvel, DC Comics, Image, Dark Horse, and many more. But a handful of famous comic books and graphic novels stand out above all the rest.
DC and Marvel have unsurprisingly created some of the most famous comics ever, but the likes of Dark Horse, Image, and more have all earned their spots among the greatest comic books of all time.
Batman: The Long Halloween (1996)
Created by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale (DC Comics)
Even a cursory look into the most acclaimed stories starring Batman will reveal that Batman: The Long Halloween from Loeb and Sale ranks among the very best.
With the story taking place over an entire calendar year (to begin with), the case gives a different impression to Bruce Wayne’s standard crime-by-crime rhythm, not to mention multiple twists and turns taking place throughout his investigation. Rewriting several different keystone pieces of Batman lore, the book seems guaranteed to be an all-time classic.
“The Long Halloween is an emotional and pivotal Batman tale which has brought fans into Gotham for decades. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale give readers a heartbreaking look at the way The Caped Crusader transforms his city even as he defends it from the evolving threats of new villains and old friends.” – Gabrielle Robbins, Comics Writer
Secret Six (2006)
Created by Gail Simone, Brad Walker, and Jimmy Palmiotti (DC Comics)
The sheer number of ‘Suicide Squads’ or ‘Injustice Leagues’ prove that any story forcing villains to join forces is a winner with fans. But it takes something special to turn that premise into a genuinely fresh, funny, emotional, and above all thrilling adventure. And with her vision for the Secret Six, writer Gail Simone did just that.
Uniting a group of B-Tier supervillains (if we’re being generous), handing them a literal “Get Out of Hell Free” Card, and sending an army of killers for their heads, the results are shocking. Not only highlighting the best that DC’s characters have to offer, but creating a one of a kind team still unmatched almost two decades later.
Sin City (1991)
Created by Frank Miller (Dark Horse Comics)
His work with Batman and Daredevil is typically first to come to mind as writer and artist Frank Miller’s best comics, but he’s also written some classic non-superhero stories. One of the genre’s best black-and-white comics, Dark Horse’s Sin City is an acclaimed neo-noir story set in a bleak, authoritarian-run town in the United States.
The comic was revered for its approach and heavy inspiration from pulp and crime-noir TV, movie, and magazine stories. Likewise, it presented an engrossing change of pace by Miller, writing Sin City more like a serialized TV/movie crime-drama in a comic book format. Though the second movie adaptation was poorly received, the initial 2005 movie received generally positive reviews.
Preacher (1995)
Created by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon (Vertigo, DC Comics)
As one of the comic book industry’s “big two” publishers, DC Comics is primarily known for its superheroes. However, their Vertigo imprint of comics spawned some timeless non-superhero classics. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher was one such cult-hit, with the story centered around a grim supernatural/religious disaster plaguing a small Texas town.
Jesse Custer, the titular preacher, becomes possessed by a supernatural entity comprised of pure goodness and pure evil, possibly becoming the most powerful entity in the universe. The story takes its small scope and eventually branches out across the country, meeting a bizarre cast of characters.
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (2022)
Created by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
Those who know Kate Beaton’s name are already aware of the unique place claimed by the Canadian cartoonist, first with Hark! A Vagrant and followed by the outstanding Ducks. Following Beaton’s own experiences working in the Alberta Oil Sands, the autobiographical story is a triumph of the medium.
Sharing the author’s own struggle with the economic, environmental, and cultural realities of her employment, the trauma and harassment in the male-dominated field, and much more, Ducks was a standout work in the medium of comics the moment it was released to the world.
Fables (2002)
Created by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham (Vertigo, DC Comics)
The idea of reimagining beloved and well-known fairy tales has been around almost as long as the actual tales themselves, but with Fables, creator Bill Willingham unlocked a once in a generation story. And over two decades later, the story of these “Legends in Exile” is still unfolding.
The longevity alone speaks to the alchemy achieved by Willginham, Buckingham, Medina, and more. Not just with a million-dollar premise of fairy tales characters living secretly alongside us, exiles from their own lands. The individual characters, their bonds, and the twists and turns of their larger struggle have created an epic unlike any before, or any since.
Ms. Marvel (2014)
Created by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Ian Herring, Sana Amanat (Marvel Comics)
When the creators of Kamala Khan sat down to fashion a brand new character within the Marvel Universe, nobody could have guessed at what elevated status the new Ms. Marvel would eventually be granted. But even then, the strengths of the hero weree impossible to ignore.
Long devoted to representing “the world outside your window,” Marvel’s commitment to telling Kamala’s story with dignity and honesty was evident. And with more than half a century’s worth of mastery in superhero origin stories, Kamala’s introduction may be one of Marvel’s most well-executed since the world met Spider-Man himself back in 1962.
Kingdom Come (1996)
Created by Mark Waid & Alex Ross (DC Comics)
Expanding to the greater Justice League, Kingdom Come is a landmark comic in DC’s pantheon of stories. This alternate-canon comic was a sort of meta deconstruction of “superheroes” as a concept. Veteran writer Mark Waid and iconic artist Alex Ross put together a miniseries that detailed the fall in prominence of the outdated “traditional” heroes and the rise of dangerous copycats.
The traditional superheroes fall out of touch with the changing times and new threats, with Batman’s team trying to stop Lex Luthor and the impending conflict. It’s a fascinating alternate tale that stands as one of the best DC Elseworlds comics in history.
V For Vendetta (1982)
Created by Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Tony Weare (Vertigo, DC Comics)
Alan Moore’s most iconic comic stories may feature DC’s superheroes, but V for Vendetta was another DC Vertigo comic that went in an excitingly different direction. It’s a dark political-dystopia story, where a fictional political party has successfully converted the United Kingdom into a gruesome neo-fascist police state.
The main character is the titular V, sporting the classic Guy Fawkes mask, leading an anarchistic revolution against the ruling oppressors. Given the intense premise, V for Vendetta tackles a variety of heavy political themes in a dense, elaborate story full of moral grays and extremes.
Batman: Year One (1987)
Created by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli (DC Comics)
Origin stories can occasionally feel like a dime a dozen and have understandably worn out fans’ patience over the years. However, Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Year One is among the most definitive comic book origins.
The late Dennis O’Neil started Batman’s exceptional noir reinvention, and Year One was one of the comics that brought this evolution to a crescendo. Down to the pulp-inspired artwork, it’s a rich and atmospheric crime drama that shows fans how Bruce Wayne came to be Gotham City’s watchful protector.
Likewise, it served as a great parallel origin story for soon-to-be Commissioner Gordon alongside Batman, depicting the two as flawed characters that are ultimately trying to do the best they can to bring justice to Gotham’s systematic corruption.
