This is my personal listing of the Best Comic Books of ALL Time! I owned most of these comics at one point in my life. I based my selections on the quality of the art and story line and it application to my life as a boy, an artist or as a father. Some of these books I read over a long stay at the beach, some were given to me by friends, some I read with my son, and others I used as references in my own drawings.
The 20 best comics of all time. #20: 1985. This is the marvel universe told from the point of view of a 12 year old boy in 1985. Great art with a Stranger Things vibe.
The 20 best comics of all time. #19: New Frontier. This is the DC universe reimagined from today's perspective. Great art from Darwyn Cooke who sadly passed away. Includes many lesser known heroes like the Sea Devils. Takes place in the 60s so a lot of space references, but the racism of the 60s is also included.
The 20 best comics, according to me, of all time. #18: Space:1999. The art is very much of the times, 1970. Its funky and psychedelic. The stories are original and not repeated from the TV show.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #17: Future Quest. This is throwback Thursday on steroids! This retro extravaganza features Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Dino Boy, Birdman, Dr. Zinn, The Herculoids, and on and on. If you are a kid of the 60s, which I am, this book is awesome.
The 20 best comics of all time. #16: The Six Million Dollar Man. This was a large format black and white book. The 70s art makes awesome use of rub on dots. Original stories were a nice change from many TV comics.
The 20 best comic books of all time. #15: Nick Fury - Agents of Shield. I like Nick Fury in all his various permutations. The 60s Nick channeling James Bond with great gadgets. The movie and ultimate universe Samuel L.Jackson trench coat cool. Or the SGT Fury WWII machine gun totem hero. All are great to read.
The 20 best comic books of all time. #14: A tie between Civil War and Identity Crisis. Civil War was a great series that launched the Marvel movie universe. However, I think Civil War was a response to DCs Identity Crisis. Both are great reads with awesome art.
The 20 best comic books of all time. #13: Aquaman. He had his share of detractors, but growing up in Florida on swim teams he was a favorite. I like this water bearer hand series even though many critics did not.
The 20 best comic books of all time. #12: Steve Canyon. This is a little old school, but I just loved Steve Canyon in the Sunday newspaper comic strips. He's tough, he's resourceful, he has a variety of sidekicks, and he's a ladies man. And, the art is downright awesome in black and white ink or full color.
The 20 best comic books of all time. #11: Hawkeye. This series about Hawkeye on his off days is a graphic designers retro dream. Simple color palette, little shading all action. Features pizza dog! Writing by Matt Faction is superb.
The 20 best comic books of all time. #10: Thor. This series of the Mighty Thor by Michael J. Straczynski of Babylon Five fame is fantastic. The armor Thor wears in this book is the model for the Thor movies costume.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #8: The Phantom. I loved Sunday when the Phantom was in the paper. He was scary and exotic. The generational aspect of decades of the ghost who walks as fascinating.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #7: Ultimate Fantastic Four. There is no better comic than the Silver Surfer stories of the classic FF, but the Ultimate story line is just as good for the modern age. It is scary for a comic; with a dose of suspension of disbelief. They discover a alternate dimension where all the super heroes are zombies! When I was a boy I wanted to be the Human Torch, nuff said.
The best 20 comic books of all time. #6: Ultimate Avengers. The whole book is awesome, but the refresh of Nick Fury really sets it apart. Modelled on Samuel L.Jackson, he would play the part in the movies. There is an 8 page fold out spread that is unbelievable.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #5: The Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger was one of my heroes as a kid, I even had the action figure. There were multiple cartoons besides the live action TV show from the 50s & 60s. This is a 2000s retelling of the tales of the masked man and Tonto. This comic features the Lone Ranger with the RED shirt and black pants, which is the real costume over the blue shirt and pants from the TV show.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #4: Avengers Annual featuring Kang the Conqueror. In the early 70s I was on my way to the beach for a few weeks, so I stopped by the 7-11 to get a comic. This huge annual jumped out at me from the rotating comic rack. This book features the classic Avengers against Kang who travels in time. The Mantis of Guardians of the Galaxy fame appears and a minor Avenger dies. Awesome read.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #3: Ironman Extremis series. This comic book and its art gave birth to the Marvel movie universe. The armor in this book is just awesomely illustrated. The story was not used until the 3rd movie.
The 20 best comic books of all time! #2: Starlord. The initial launch of Starlord in the 1970s Marvel Preview is amazing. The story is great and the art by John Byrne is so inspiring. I have included several of the 2 page spreads.
The 20 best comic books of all time. Drum roll...#1: Captain Action. DC published this series for 5 or so issues. It was relaunched in the 00s. The book tells the story of an action figure, Captain Action. He was a competitor to GI Joe. Love how he pushes Superman out of the way on the cover of issue 1. My good friend William Mize saw the comic at a convention in the 90s and brought it for me. A true friend.
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