By Dante' Maddox

As a long time comic book fan and reader this was one of the most difficult lists to compile. Who the hell am I to say what comics you should read, or not read? I’m a crazy person with a keyboard that’s who!

Don’t think of this as a list from an authority; instead think of it as opening arguments from a certified idiot. If you know better and feel my list is off, then hit the message boards and give me an earful or an eyeful technically. Now before we begin properly how did I qualify which books made the top ten? Simple, I closed my eyes and pointed at my collection. Ok, in all seriousness (really how serious do I have to be talking about comics?) I thought about the little things that certain books do that set them apart from other series.

Some of the books are ones I’m currently reading while others I’m simply very aware of. I know what you’re wondering: How can I list a book I’m not reading? Simple, you’ll see how in few minutes, it involves a keyboard and a cellular phone, simply amazing. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at our (by ‘our’ I mean ‘my’) list shall we?

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In no particular order:

10. Kick-Ass (ICON)

The only reason this pick barely makes the list is because the book just barely saw print. But, in a field where damn near everything is a retread of something else, this book hides it better. Sure, this is another ‘real world’ comic but this one honest. I don’t tend to like books that overdo it with the gore, and bloodshed but Kick-Ass uses such graphic images to prove a point, a well received one.



The story of Kick-Ass follows the title hero (yeah that’s his super hero name) from an unknown point in the future as he reflects on his reasons for becoming the hero that he will eventually become. The book is a cautionary tale to say the least as our hero has an extremely tough time getting it together, but I’ll leave that for you to discover.

9. JSA (DC)

C’mon admit it; the ‘return’ of the Kingdom Come Superman was friggin awesome! Finally a Superman that isn’t a wimp! Oh really? You weren’t thinking that? Oh well I was. The Justice Society of America was the first super hero team book, and is still one of the best. That has been the case for at least the last couple of years as the JSA just keeps on truckin’ through all the crap that the DCU throws at it.



The team most recently ran afoul of Gog a character from the Kingdom Come Superman’s neck of the woods. The storytelling is consistent and fun. I’m not always a fan of the artwork but that’s never a distraction from the books inherent goodness.

8. Thor (MARVEL)

Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods came and went in the Marvel universe. It seemed that Thor was done once and for all. But, this is comics’ people and his return was more a matter of time than anything else. And return he did, with a brand new look and purpose. The way the book is written can only be described as epic, issue for issue. Each issue deals with Thor coming to terms with his actions in his previous incarnation. This new Thor has a different mentality that makes him fit better with Marvels new status quo.



Since his return Thor has been about the business of finding the rest of the gods who formed the Norse pantheon. He’s also addressed the current climate surrounding the Marvel U in a titanic battle against Iron Man, actually it wasn’t that titanic Thor wiped the floor with Iron Man and then left. JMS left an incredible run on Spider-Man to write Thor, you might want to check this one out.

7. New Avengers (MARVEL)

The New Avengers have had me on the edge of my seat since issue one. The artwork has been awesome and the storytelling fresh. This is one of the core books linked to Secret Invasion and it shows as a lot of the big reveals of that series either occurred in or was hinted at during this books run.



Currently the team is still dealing with the fallout of Civil War, the death of Steve Rogers, and the aforementioned Secret Invasion. Nick Fury is missing and the team has been branded as outlaws. Bendis did an excellent job of developing characters like Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, players who would have been regarded as b-list characters just a few years ago. That’s a sign of a great writer, and they don’t get much better than Brian Michael Bendis.

6. Booster Gold (DC)

That’s right friends, Booster Gold is one of the best books out there even if you’re not reading it. This is easily one of DC’s most consistant books with more than its fair share of action and intrigue. It’s a little sad that what happens in this book doesn’t seem to affect the general DCU but I’ll take what I can get.



Booster gold is a man out of time who has to live a life of secret adventure insuring that the time stream isn’t violated. He’s been recently joined by his good friend the Blue Beetle and now the two are working together to save the time stream as well as the multiverse.

5. Action Comics (DC)

Superman doesn’t get as much credit as he should for having a great comic. People just seem to expect Superman in Action Comics to always be there, just kind of plodding along, but Geoff Johns has quietly put together an impressive run on the series. Gary Frank had a field day on his run covering the return of the Legion to the Superman universe, and the story of that caper was one of the best DC had to offer at that time.



Kal El has been awfully busy this year fighting the good fight. If it isn’t the return of General Zod, then it’s a battle with Bizarro. Johns has been spending a lot of time fixing the continuity that concerns the Legion of Super Heroes and Superman. It’s been a real blast to see how Geoff Johns and company (including director Richard Donner) have worked out all the kinks. Now there’s only one last thread to address, that of the villainous Time Trapper!

4. Dark Times (DARK HORSE)

Out of all the different Star Wars books that Dark Horse is putting out, The Dark Times is the most compelling, and therefore the best. Star Wars is a story that takes itself very seriously at times and The Dark Times really captures that. The Path to Nowhere is easily one of the best series you’ll read this year and it’s only a small part of the saga that is Dark Times.



Vector makes its way to Dark Times next month; Vader who is featured prominently in Dark Times will stumble upon an evil that has been dormant for thousands of years. All the way from the pages of Knights of the Old Republic, another great Star Wars book

3. Invincible (IMAGE)

Probably the best superhero comic in the universe is a fair statement when it comes to Invincible. One part Superman and one part Spider-Man is the combination for Invincible’s success since 2003. Robert Kirkman has been involved as writer since the very beginning and has spun a very surprising tale that has a little something for everyone in each issue.



Lately Invincible has been balancing his love life with his life in costume which makes for some seriously compelling storytelling. What really makes this book shine is its pacing, the action sequences, and the comedic timing. This book is the perfect blend of action, adventure, and humor, make sure to pick it up.

2. Captain America (MARVEL)

Captain America died. You would have thought that the book would end at some point considering the star was dead. Instead Ed Brubaker told arguably the best Cap story ever. Lucky for you most of the run can be found in collected editions because his run is satisfyingly long. Killing Steve Rogers was not an ending, it was the beginning of a brand new chapter in the Captain America mythology. Brubaker did the unthinkable twice by bringing Bucky Barnes back from the dead before he killed Rogers, and making that very same James ‘Bucky’ Barnes the new Captain America.



This isn’t your Dad’s Cap (heck, Steve Rogers wasn’t your Dads Cap either) anymore, no James as Cap is a gun toting everyman with a robotic arm and years of training. I never thought I’d live to see the day when Bucky Barnes was the hardest dude in the Marvel stable, but that day is here and we’re all the better for it.

1. Nova (MARVEL)

New Warriors was one of the first books I ever collected, and Nova was a huge part of that. Unaware of his origins at the time I was surprised to see so many similarities between him and Green Lantern. These days however Green Lantern wishes he was Nova who now is operating as the Nova Prime. The artwork and writing is first rate, plus it serves to shed some light on Marvels literal universe of characters. Each issue of Nova so far has been a who’s who of Marvels cosmic characters.



The Nova book started out as a tie in to Annihilation: Conquest but quickly took on a life of its own as we watched as Nova struggled with the transmode virus the Phalanx infected him with. Seeing him overcome obstacles with courage, strength and raw power is awe inspiring, plus the witty dialog doesn’t hurt much either. This