Age of Awakening.

The age of the graphic novel has finally dawned upon us. Gone are the days when people who mostly buy comic books and graphic novels are categorized as plain geeks or nerds. Not that there is anything wrong with being one, but the root word, if one tries to trace it, is not totally appealing.

Based on certain articles, in the early ’80s, comic books and graphic novels were considered as things kept underneath the mattresses and only discussed with fellow geeks in small circles. By the late ’80s, companies started experimenting with different genres and making comic books more mature and relevant. Thus, the comic books and graphic novels started getting the attention they deserved from the larger sections of society.

As geeks and nerds go, it’s quite difficult to list the 10 Best Comic Books or Graphic Novels. Each person has his own quirks and acquired taste (from storyline to art) to list his Top Ten. This, therefore, does not represent in any way a collective effort. At the very most, this serves as a guide for people who traipse the Comic Book/Graphic Novel selection in Fully Booked, Powerbooks, or National Bookstore, and do not know what to buy:

10.         Y The Last Man: Unmanned (Brian K. Vaughan)

On July 17, 2002, everything possessing a Y-chromosome (including embryos, fertilized eggs, and sperm) suddenly died. The only exceptions appear to be Yorick Brown and his Capuchin monkey, Ampersand. Yorick then embarks on a transcontinental journey to find his girlfriend and discover why he is the last man on Earth. But with a gang of feminist extremists and the leader of the Israel Defense Forces hunting him, Yorick’s future, and that of the human race, may be jeopardized.

9.            Batman: Arkham Asylum (Grant Morrison)

The patients of Arkham Asylum (led by Joker) has taken over the facility and are threatening to murder the staff unless Batman agrees to meet with them. The art is unconventional and the storyline is replete with references on other Batman villains. This has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest Batman graphic novels along with The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns, and Batman: Year One, with the latter two by the legendary Frank Miller.

8.            Earth X (Jim Krueger and Alex Ross)

A dystopian future where everybody has gained superpowers. This is a world where previous superheroes question their purpose and relevance. Captain America has retired, Wolverine is a drunkard, Mr. Fantastic dons the costume of Victor von Doom. The plot is thick and rich with alternating what-ifs in the Marvel universe.

7.            Astonishing X-Men series (Joss Whedon and John Cassaday)

I could have injected some other X-Men series including Days of Future Past, Dark Phoenix Saga, and God Loves, Man Kills, but the recent Astonishing X-men series aptly deserves a place in the pantheon of best graphic novels. Gifted is the first story in the series, which introduces a mutant cure, designed by Dr. Kavita Rao, an Indian Benetech scientist, who was secretly sponsored by a warrior alien Ord. The storyline served as the backdrop for successive powerful stories including the House of M, Decimation, and catapulting to the famed Avengers v. X-Men series. The story is succinct and the pacing builds steady momentum for the readers. Armed with flawless character dynamics and a solid storyline, this series is truly astonishing.

6.            Kingdom Come (Mark Waid and Alex Ross)

The members of the Justice League have abandoned their roles as superheroes after the rise of a strong public support for new superhero named Magog, who had no qualms about murdering in cold blood. A group of young super-powered metahumans arise and engage each other in destructive battles without cause blurring the line between heroes and villains. Wonder Woman persuades Superman who initiated the disbandment of the Justice League to once again rise above the challenge. Batman, on the other hand, refuses to join Superman and recruits his own team with a cause distinctly his own.

5.            V for Vendetta (Alan Moore)

You have probably seen the movie, but the novel has a cult following even before it was shown in the theaters. V combines the grit of Gotham and the dystopian society in Orwell’s 1984. The story centers on a faceless unconventional character named V, who is known for wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. This is a good read, armed with solid plot and heavy characters, with a good dose of literary allusions and social commentaries.   

4.            Batman: Year One (Frank Miller)

The story recounts the beginning of Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman and Jim Gordon’s with the Gotham City Police Department. Bruce Wayne returns home to Gotham City from training abroad in martial arts and other forms of discipline for the past 12 years, and James Gordon moves to Gotham with his wife, Barbara, after a transfer from Chicago. Both are swiftly acquainted with the corruption and violence that is characterized by Gotham City. Year One defined Batman for a whole new generation of aficionados, and some claim that this is the greatest graphic novel ever created.

3.            The Watchmen (Alan Moore)

In 1938, the presence of superheroes referred to as the Watchmen altered the course of history and affected real-world events such as the Vietnam War and the presidency of Nixon. However, the presence of these superheroes fueled dissent from the public, which led to the passage of legislation in 1977 to outlaw them. In 1985, Edward Blake, who used to don the mask of the Comedian, was found murdered. With the police having no leads, costumed vigilante Rorschach decides to probe further, and discovered a plot to terminate all costumed superheroes.                    

2.            Maus (Art Spiegelman)

Maus focuses on the heartbreaking tale of Spiegelman’s father, Vladek, and his first wife, Anja during the Holocaust with alternating tales during his later years in the US. The story is famed for its use of animals as its characters. The Jewish characters are portrayed as mice, Germans as cats, British as dolphins, non-Jewish Polish as pigs, and Americans as dogs. Over the years, Maus has transcended the comic book classification and has even been included in the literature curriculum of some colleges.

1.             Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes (Neil Gaiman)

The first book in the Sandman series shows a man bent on capturing the physical manifestation of Death. He, however, captures Morpheus, the King of Dreams in an occult ritual. After 70 years of being captured, Morpheus was able to escape in the modern day, killing his captors in the process, and vows to rebuild his kingdom, which has fallen into anarchy due to his absence. This series has often been described as the comic strip for intellectuals, and has even surpassed and outsold at one time, favorite DC heroes like Superman and Batman.

The succeeding parts of the series feature The Endless, a family of seven dysfunctional siblings who are the anthropomorphic personifications of universal concepts, including Destiny (as the oldest), Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium (also referred to as Delight, who is the youngest). The Endless has existed since the beginning of time and they are thought of as among the most powerful beings in the universe. They are distinct from and supposedly more powerful than most gods. 

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This list is again based on my personal assessments and biases. I could have easily tossed other giants such as Punisher Max: Vol. 1: In the Beginning (Garth Ennis), Batman: The Killing Joke (Alan Moore and Brian Bolland), Alice in Sunderland (Bryan Talbot), Daredevil: Born Again (Frank Miller), Transmetropolitan (Warren Ellis), and Hellblazer (Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis, and Peter Milligan) as these graphic novels are also noteworthy to be added in anyone’s collection.