what are your favorite non superheroe titles?

[zano88]

i enjoy the following:
transmetropolitan
walking dead
strangers in paradise
Y the last man
jimmy corrigan
black hole
30 days of night.......
lots more

[TwoPossums]

Ex Machina
Walking Dead
Y the Last Man
Usagi Yojimbo
PVP
and before it ended Bone

[Somejerk]

100 Bullets!!!

[Bubblegum Girl]

Lenore
SQUEE!
Little Gloomy
Nightmares & Fairy Tales
W.I.T.C.H
Serenity Rose
Bear
Flight
Superheroes & Seamonsters

[zano88]

ah, forgot about Fables...
and the Flight books

[Prism]

Elfquest
Bone
anything by Gladstone
W.I.T.C.H
Conan the Barbarian
Warlord
Arion
Tales from the Crypt
Harvey comics like Richie Rich

[Anthonynotes]

Uncle Scrooge
Various comic strips, including For Better or For Worse, This Modern World, Doonesbury, Dykes to Watch Out For, Monty, the Boondocks, FoxTrot, etc.

[King_of_doom]

Hack/Slash
Army of Darkness
Evil Ernie
Walking Dead
Red Sonja

[Antiyonder]

Various Disney materials:
Life & Times Of Scrooge McDuck
Talespin Miniseries and short lived monthly

Kingdom Hearts Manga

Case Closed Manga

[Cyporiean]

Sandman & Company

[James Meeley]

Boneyard
Conan
G.I. Spy
Red Sonja
Revelations
Samurai: Heaven and Earth (even though it just ended, there's a sequel mini-series due out next year)

Short list, huh? ;)

[90'sCartoonMan]

Fables, definitely!

[Figaro]

Lions, Tigers & Bears
PVP
The Imaginaries (well, it's KIND OF a superhero book...)
The Perhapanauts
Boneyard
Usagi Yojimbo

By thy side,

Figaro

[DR.MID-NITE]

Walking Dead

[Stu]

OK folks, educate we of little knowledge. Why do you like these books? Lists don't encourage others to check the book out, do you think those of us who rarely depart from our monthly readings of Batman, Spider-Man and The X-Men would enjoy it?

[MajorTom]

The Walking Dead is not only one of the best non-superhero books right now, but also a contender for best of any comic currently.
The Sandman is my personal favorate comic of all time.
Bone is a lot of fun.
Sin City is a visual masterpiece.
I may add more later.

[Shnay]

Though I realize it's sacrilege to say so, I think that Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware is the best use of the comic book medium I've come across so far. The two central characters in Jimmy Corrigan, a man and his estranged father, are fully fleshed out through flashbacks that reveal trauma of the past, surreal dream sequences and hallucinations that expose their inner thoughts, and subtle expressions that speak volumes about their feelings. All this is done in a simple yet evocative art style that perfectly captures the atmospheres of the various locations and time periods the story spans. It's a really incredible book that takes full advantage of the benefits of storytelling in the comic book format.

David Boring by Daniel Clowes is also a favorite of mine. The book mixes the terribly mundane with the fantastic, which is something I always enjoy. There are also some intriguing psychological elements at play here, such as glimpses at the nature of David's father through bits of an old comic book he wrote. The most interesting aspect of the book in my mind, however, is the way it explores sex. Sex in David Boring is neither incredibly romantic nor is it an act purely for pleasure. It's shown as a complext mix of emotions, some of which the characters understand and others they might not. This approach to storytelling, wherein complicated things aren't presented in simplistic, cliched ways, is quite satisfying.

It's a Bird... by Steven Seagle deals with the character Superman, but is most definitely not a superhero comic. The focus is on comic book writer Seagle himself and his struggle to understand Superman's character. A traumatic childhood experience that he can't fully recall and a dissatisfaction with his family life result in all his story ideas for Superman calling into question this ultimate hero, what he stands for, and what effects he has on those around him. Of course, these story ideas have little to do with Superman and everything to do with the struggles Seagle is facing. With a creative and at times extremely emotive art style, It's a Bird... tells a powerful human story filled with anger, disdain, love, and hope.

Same Difference (http://www.lowbright.com/Comics/SameDifference/SameDifferenceIndex.htm) by Derek Kirk Kim is probably the most down-to-Earth story I've seen in a comic so far (the whole thing is available for free at the link posted). It takes place over the course of a single day, with two friends being the central characters. I just read over a few of the pages for the first time in a long while and was surprised to find how much of it I remembered. It's a very simple story, but it really stayed with me. It's not too long, and it's entirely free, so give it a shot and see what you think.

I also have a few other highly praised non-superhero books purchased and ready to read once I get some time (and plow through some other books I've been meaning to read...).

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

This thread is vague. Do you mean current monthly titles or historically?

Well, Conan is a fun title because Conan himself is a pretty versatile character in that you can put him into any kind of storyline--quest, court intrigue, action, mystery, horror and even a bit of romance...and it can work well. You still have to dig SOME sword and sorcery, but Conan's a reliable title if you like that kind of entertainment, or don't mind it.

Little Lulu--This is actually a reprint series of the 50s comics about a little girl and her comedic adventures. Dark Horse is releasing this in TPBs about bi-monthly . It's really some of the most clever and funny comics I've ever read. Don't let the kiddie rep fool you. Some of the comedy here is Seinfeld-worthy in its ability to take nothing and make it funny--all while maintaining its innocent appeal.

Love and Rockets: Blood of Palomar--Love and Rockets is probablythe most well known indie title of all time. If you're a comic fan you've probably heard of it. It's essentially written and drawn by two brothers--but each brother does their own story with their own sets of characters. Gilbert Hernandez follows the lives of some people in a fictional Mexican town, while Jaime Hernandez follows the misadventures of two girls in L.A. The series is actually up and down, but I picked Blood of Palomar because it is the richest and most rewarding storyline in the Love and Rockets series.

[King_of_doom]

Army of Darkness: Because i'm an Evil Dead/Army of Darkness fan and when i picked it i was hock on the story. They really do an excellent job and Nick Bradshaw the one who draws Army is more awesome.

Walking Dead: I really like the first issues with the zombies and the people are getting eating, but in recent issues the story is getting kind of boring......probably because we don't too much zombies.

Hack/Slash: A combination of Buffy the vampire slayer and Friday the 13 in one. I like the first issue because the atmosphere is really creppy and the slasher was cool. The second was ok but not too scary and the third one i like because the killer was killing all the guest stars in the comic book convention.

[randomguy]

This thread is vague. Do you mean current monthly titles or historically?I think both are fair game, so feel free to gab about whatever suits your fancy. Most people have focused on ongoing titles, but Shnay decided to write about some cool graphic novels, which I'd say is a good choice also.

It's all fair game, really. After all, the more discussion we have, the better, particularly if it leads people to try out new things.

In terms of current ongoing series, I'm really digging Warren Ellis' Fell right now. It's a really unique series that follows the adventures of Detective Richard Fell, who's just transferred to the strange and threatening city of Snowtown. Each issue is episodic and has Fell solving a new crime.

It's a great book for a lot of reasons, but what really sells me on it is the format. Fell is a $1.99, 16-page book (plus a letter column), and each issue is a dense, self-contained mystery story. That means every time you pick it up, you get a complete story. The art is good, the mysteries usually have fascinatingly perverse solutions, and the locale of Snowtown is evocative and interesting. Fell is one of the more exciting books out there right now, and for only two dollars, I urge everyone to pick up one or two issues and see for yourself. It's up to #3 right now, and all three issues are fairly easy to find.

Other great titles include:

-Y: The Last Man: Brian K. Vaughan's science-fiction/social commentary series stars Yorrick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand, the only survivors of a plague that killed off Earth's entire male population. Yorrick meets a scientist and a spy, and they proceed to unravel the mystery behind Yorrick's survival, the origins of the mysterious plague, and whether or not it's too late to save humanity. A great, compelling read that offers a really well-thought-out look at how the world would change if all the men on the planet died tomorrow. There's great commentary on gender politics, too. There are trades available.
-The Walking Dead: Think of it as what you'd get if there was an ongoing comic book set in the world of George Romero's "... of the Dead" movies. It's a zombie survival story with good characters, great art, and smart plotting. Trades are available, and are released very fast (and for only $10 a pop), so this is an ideal book to read in trade.
-Jonah Hex: This Western series from DC features the monthly adventures of their classic hideously scarred bounty hunter, the titular Jonah Hex. Like Fell, each issue of this is book is a complete story, and the art is excellent and nearly photorealistic, with great period details and some solid, old-fashioned Western shoot 'em-up writing. I can't recommend this to everyone, but if you're into Westerns and anti-heroes with their own unbendable codes of honor, you'll dig this book. It's currently up to #3, and the previous two issues are quite easy to find. Highly accessible.
-The Losers: Written by Andy Diggle, with kicktastic art by Jocks, is a global spy thriller following a rogue CIA team. It's basically the best Hollywood action flick you can possibly imagine: explosions, car chases, shootouts, lots of intrigue, and all sorts of exotic locales. Top-notch, if you're into that sort of thing. It's available in trades.
-True Story Swear to God: Basically the exact opposite of The Losers. This is the true story of the author's whirlwind romance with a Puerto Rican woman he meets in a chance encounter. It's a little too saccharine sometimes, but it's a sweet book that will appeal to everyone that's a romantic at heart. Up to #15 currently, and there are three trades.
-Action Philosophers: I bought this on Ace the Bathound's recommendation, and hoo-boy is it ever a fun book. It's a basically a comic book featuring and starring classic philosophers, with each issue dedicated to a new subject, tackling such luminaries as Nietzche and Bodhidharma. It sounds dry and academic but is actually a blast. The philosophy is rather intelligent, though, and it's great entry point if you're interested in learning about philosophy. Kooky book, but really good.

I have more, but those are the ones which are probably nearest and dearest to my heart. All of those are great books, so if anyone has an extra couple of bucks sometime, you could do a lot worse than any of the above titles. Come on, skip out on the next part of "Spider-Man: The Other" that you know is going to stink anyway and give one of these a shot.

[zano88]

I think both are fair game, so feel free to gab about whatever suits your fancy. Most people have focused on ongoing titles, but Shnay decided to write about some cool graphic novels, which I'd say is a good choice also.

It's all fair game, really. After all, the more discussion we have, the better, particularly if it leads people to try out new things.

.
that pretty much nailed it. i purposely kept it open ended so people could go where they wanted with it. thx random guy!

[Mynd Hed]

For my money, Hard Time is the best current monthly series around, superhero or non-. Picture Shawshank Redemption with an underage protagonist and without all that heartwarming crap. (-: Good times.

[Sr.Infierno]

-Sandman
-Calvin and Hobbes
-V for Vendetta
-Sin City
-Ronin
-Blade of the Immortal
-Zits

[Beyond Batman]

Does Gotham Central count? I see it more of a cop drama than a hero book.

[randomguy]

Does Gotham Central count? I see it more of a cop drama than a hero book.Interesting question.

Like Ex Machina, it probably depends on what month it is. Some issues are very superhero-centric, while some are more along the lines of something like NYPD Blue. For example, the last couple of issues haven't had any Batman elements at all, and are more or less straight cop drama. But the Infinite Crisis tie-in issue, and other issues where the Bat-characters appeared, felt more like a superhero book.

[IDistractedYou]

1)The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
I gave up oncomics in the mid 90's because of The Spider Clone Age of the Onslaught Bloodline Genesis Apocalypse. One day I had time to kill before class at the local community college and stopped in and picked up a volume of the Sandman and I was hooked. It was my first exposure to a non-superhero comic that was written for adults. The excellent charactterization of Morpheus, the King of Dreams and his fellow siblings the Endless and the great standalone but even greater overarching storylines had me hooked and turned me back onto comics.

2) Moonshadow by J.M. DeMateis (Yes the Justice League guy)
I stumbled upon this tome at a used bookstore. Its the tale of a young boy named Moonshadow who is born in an intergalactic zoo and his coming of age through triumph and tragedy. Each panel is watercolors over pencils and makes it look rather unique. The story is uplifting and saddening at the same time. If you are a fan of J.M. DeMateis I reccomend it as it gives a view into his ability to craft a story that just couldn't be told in the confines of Justice League.

3) Fables by Bill Willingham
Various characters from Fables and Myth are driven from their lands by an entity known only as the adversary. They now live in Fabletown in New York and walk among the mundies. These characters are true to the Grim's Fairy Tales I read as a child (The uncensored versions) and this series opens on a rather Noirish note as Fable's town sheriff (I won't say who it is.) must investiage the murder of one Rose Red...

4) The Waiting Place by Sean McKeever
Dawson's Creek done good and with much better taste in music. Thats all I have to say.

5)Blue Monday by Chynna Clugston Major
I'm really surprised nobody has mentioned this yet. Its basically Archie done a bit more realistically but not too much so considering there's an otter named Seamus who occassionally shows up along with a floating Jesus head.

I also like Dork Tower and Player versus Player but can't think of longwinded speeches about why I enjoy them.

[Domino]

Jonah Hex and Jon Sable, Freelance are great. But hands down, I have to say my favorite non-superhero title is Knights of the Dinner Table. I savor it every month, and it never fails to make me laugh out loud.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

Off the top of my head, current non-superhero title favorites include:

- Y the Last Man: Still inventive, still amazing. I love how Brian K. Vaughan has managed to take a simple concept ("Not if you were the last man on Earth!") and spun it into such a terrific series.

- Blue Monday: It's a bit teeny-bopper and skewed for a younger audience than me, but I love Chynna Clugston's artwork and her storytelling skills, and the comic manages to make me laugh a lot. Scooter Girl was pretty good, too.

- Courtney Crumrin: The adventures of Harry Potter's much snarkier, meaner younger sister. Really atmospheric artwork by Ted Naifeh.

- Fell: What randomguy said, since I bought it on his recommendation and he's dead right about it. Only read 1 issue so far, but it was mighty satisfying.

- Action Philosophers (http://www.actionphilosophers.com/). I have gushed about this often. It will make you laugh while it makes you smarter, and how can you not love early Christian thought as Jack Kirby cosmic comic and the Joseph Campbell "Hero's Journey" boardgame? You Must Buy This Book.

- The Goon. Screamingly, laugh-out-loud funny, but with some surprisingly poignant moments and some genuine heartache underneath it all. It also has one of the greatest creepy/touching moments I've seen since the ending of BTAS: "Heart of Ice." A review of the Fancy Pants hardcover and the TPBs is forthcoming.

- Usagi Yojimbo. If Akira Kurosawa wrote samurai comics with talking animals, this is what they would look like. Stan Sakai is The Man. The fact that I got into this after reading volume 17 out of 18 is also more proof of my belief that continuity doesn't hurt comics. Crap continuity hurts comics. Good continuity just makes you go back and get the rest.

- Scrooge McDuck. Mostly, my exposure thus far has been the Free Comic Book Day edition of "Only a Poor Old Man" and Don Rosa's Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, but that's enough to get me interested in more. If anything, my biggest problem is that getting into the Duck comics is kind of like getting into jazz -- there's so much of it out there that I'm frankly intimidated by it all and kind of don't know where to start (<- SUBTLE HINT ;)).

- True Story Swear to God. Romance comic for people who don't like romance comics. If you're not attached at the moment, this comic will either be excruciating or will give you hope that your Lily or Tom is out there waiting to meet you at a bus stop somewhere.

- Strangers in Paradise. OK, so Terry Moore was making it up as he went along from day 1, and lost me after TPB 10 or so. The early TPBs are still terrific, and I still love Katchoo and Francine.

(Special thanks to those above who reminded me of some of these, like Blue Monday and Usagi Yojimbo.)

Debatable non-superhero titles include:

- Fables: Also one of the best books on the stands now. It does involve strange powers and secret identities, though, so one might say that it lifts a lot of superhero concepts and drops them into a different context to come up with something new.

- Concrete: It starts with a superhero premise (essentially the Fantastic Four's Thing), but runs with it in directions you'd never expect. It's warm, funny, thought-provoking, genuinely moving, and deeply heartfelt. It's been one of my favorite comics in any genre for a good, long time.

- Ex Machina: Like randomguy said, this is ostensibly a superhero title, but it's so incredibly atypical of the genre that it may not even count. Still, it's more great stuff from BKV.

- Conan: Pulp fiction at its finest. It's really great, super-tough, red meat stuff. However, I'm still not quite sure how far along on the superhero continuum to put the ol' Cimmerian, but he's got enough aspects of them to make me wonder.

Some favorite non-superhero comics no longer published include Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Mark Schultz's Xenozoic Tales/Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Jeff Smith's Bone, Dave Sim & Gerhard's Cerebus (although it's a long, hard slog through some of the ending bits), Bill Messner-Loeb & Sam Kieth's Epicurus the Sage (which I love for many of the same reasons as Action Philosophers), Kurt Busiek's Shockrockets and Arrowsmith, John Ostrander's Grimjack, and Matt Wagner's Grendel (but really only Wagner's stuff -- the non-Wagner Grendel stories are too inconsistent).

-- Ed/Ace

[SokkaBoSiegel]

This is a good thread. A lot of titles Im now interested in as a comic novice (only read The Watchmen). This is an off the wall kind of question, but that TaleSpin comic...I guess there's no way that is going to be like rereleased in some format is there? :o