When you mention comic books to people, they automatically think of Superman, Batman, Spider Man etc. In other words, they think of superheroes. The comic book world rotates around superheroes and their often world-saving antics. However, there are people out there, myself being one of them, that enjoy all kinds of comic books. Books about normal (in a comic book sense which is usually far from normal) people, books about aliens, wizards, alternate worlds or alternate realities. These books often get cast aside by their better known and more mainstream superhero-focused brothers, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they lack the quality. They are often the breeding ground of the popular writers, the dawn of hit tv shows or Hollywood blockbusters. So if you fancy whetting your appetite on one of these superhero devoid books, then here are five of my personal favourites:
Y: The Last Man
Rarely has a book had me gripped for so long as Y:The Last Man did. Written by the insanely talented Brian K. Vaughan and pencilled in the main by Pia Guerra, this book takes you on a journey with Yorrick Brown and his monkey Ampersand, the last two male mammals on Earth. The story follows Yorrick as he travels through America undercover as the last man alive, protected by government agent, Agent 355, and accompanied by geneticist Dr Alison Mann. Society is crumbling, the government struggling to re-establish itself and entirely female population trying to get used to its new status as the dominant species on the planet. It’s a fascinating tale of struggle, desire and life as Yorrick struggles to come to terms that he must be the saviour of the human race. The series won five Eisner Awards over its 60 issue run, including the award for Best Ongoing Series in 2008.
The Walking Dead
Before it became a hot TV show on both sides of the Atlantic, The Walking Dead was (and still is) an ongoing comic book by writer Robert Kirkman. As anyone who has seen the show will know, the story is about a plague hit USA where Zombies have taken over, leaving the unbitten to survive as best as they can. The stories main character is Rick Grimes, a sheriff who wakes up from a coma (after being shot) to find the hospital deserted and a whole bunch of zombies locked up in the canteen. As the plot builds, more characters are added and with it the toils and tribulations of life in a zombie infested world. The book is drawn entirely in black and white which adds a certain something to the uniqueness of the book. Kirkman’s plots are amazing and he doesn’t rest on his laurels as the action is none stop. Currently, at time of writing this, the book had just published issue #100, with no sign of an ending in sight.
Locke & Key
Locke & Key is brought to us by the mind of Joe Hill, better known as the son of horror-fiction writer/God Stephen King. Joe Hill is a fantastic writer in his own sense and Locke & Key is a testament to that. It follows the story of the Locke family, who suffer a terrible tragedy when the patriarch of the family is brutally murdered by a group of teenagers from the school he works at. The family retreat to the old family home, the Keyhouse, to get away and start a new life. Supernatural happenings occur and the family, now lead by high school senior Tyler Locke, find out that not all is what it seems in the Keyhouse. Hill masterfully leads you through each issue with a sense of suspense that often leaves your spine tingling, not dis-similar to his father in classics such as IT or Carrie. Hill’s storylines are brilliant, the artistry by Gabriel Rodriguez is fantastic and the comic is a must try for all.
Saga
Whilst this book is currently only 5 issues old, it is already one of my favourite books out at the moment. Written by Y:The Last Man’s Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is a Sci-fi adventure after forbidden love in a story that has hints of Romeo and Juliet intertwined with Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The star-crossed lovers of the story are Alana and Marko, who belong to warring races, thus providing the forbidden love element of the story. They are on the run with their newborn baby girl, Hazel, who often narrates the story. The characters are so bizarre that I struggle to even begin to try to describe them for you. For instance, one of the main pursuers of the trio is Prince Robot IV, representative of the Robot Kingdom. The robots being of human body with a television for a head!?! The story is only just getting going and the characters are still being introduced but so far the plot is fantastic and the art work from Fiona Staples is sublime. Try one issue and you will not be disappointed.
The Manhattan Projects
Everyone should have some clue as to what The Manhattan Project was, but if not here is what Wikipedia has to say on the matter. The comic, written by fantastic scribe Jonathan Hickman and pencilled by the almost as brilliant Nick Pitarra, takes the facts of the projects and stuffs it full of sci-fi brilliance. Enter zen powered death-buddhists, inter-dimensional gateways, killer robots, Albert Einstein, Adolf Hitler, Atom bombs and sentient, killer origami!! True to Hickman style, the story is beautifully written and is totally surreal, yet ultimately believable (as far as sentient killer origami can be). I utterly implore you to give this a go if you are a fan of comics, history, nonsense, sci-fi or indeed breathing, and let Jonathan Hickman take you on a wild ride through one of histories most important events.