Comics I Recommend

Grand, gruesome, and unforgettable. Takeda's art combining gothic, steampunk, and Mucha-inspired visuals are eye-popping and Liu's script drives this momumental story with some amazing world building and a gamut of well fleshed-out characters.

A beautifully engaging comic with a very interesting premise - keys scattered in a haunted mansion unlock superpowers for an individual. Netflix tried to adapt this failed horribly. The comic is far more appealing, visceral, and plotted with great ingenuity.

A riveting murder mystery set in the cold, desolate land of Antarctica? Sold.

Combine Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Romeo + Juliet with Fiona Staples' gorgeous artwork and Vaughn's script and you get the runaway hit Saga. Easily the most imaginative and the most difficult to put down book on the list.

You could buy the invidiual volumes (9 so far), but it's just cheaper to pick up the compendium listed below

A dark, fantastical take on ancient mythology brought forth with a modern view, Sandman is one of the most critically acclaimed stories of all time for a reason. Gaiman's unique take on magical realism, fantasy, and legend pervades all of his work putting him in the top echleon of fantasy writers and Sandman is one of his best work.

A hug of sunshine on a gloomy day.

This is actually a webcomic but is so good, it's a must read. Beautifully drawn, the story is set in and steeped with Nordic mythology interweaving horror and magic so well it defies genres.

Must-read if you're a sci-fi fan!

One of the most mind-boggling sci-fi stories of our time. Remender's story complimented by Scalera's art is a new frontier in visual storytelling.

This has been done a lot of times before but in hands of Vaughn, it becomes endlessly compelling, humourous and charming. Like the title suggests, we tag along with our protagonist to find out why he is the last surviving man on Earth, where a plague has wiped out males of all species. The comic manages to answer the what-ifs it sets up beautifully.

Ever wondered what would happen if the avatar of death was banished to living in a mortal body in Mumbai? Aside from the odd name choice, MDoLS is a beautifully drawn comic strewn with very interesting concepts encapsulating transcendence, cycle of life, and humanity. There is also an innate joy of reading books set in my hometown.

This is an ongoing series but the quality is so high and the premise so great, I can't leave it out. Imagine if the wildest conspiracy theories came true simply if enough people believed in it. Also imagine if there was a Men-in-Black style government agency tasked with controlling public's perception of the truth. This is Black Mirror levels of storytelling.

This epic is almost 9,000 pages long and is heralded as one the most iconic manga of all time, leaving its mark on a lot of pop culture we consume. Meticulously researched and drawn with extraordinary flourish, this Samurai tale of vengenace is violent, dark, and oddly philosophical. Not for the faint hearted!

The manga started in 1982 and yet is still relevant today. An epic adventure pervaded by complex characters, suspense, and a sense of homecoming. If you're a fan of Studio Ghibli movies and their art (who isn't?), pick this up and admire it for hours.

Another piece of art that has had ramifications on almost every pop culture piece put out since its release. This cyberpunk thriller is Otomo's magnum opus chronicling the adventures of a biker gang in Japan's wasteland. It is slightly dated now but still worth getting up to speed on.

One of the longest running comics in the world, Eiichiro Oda has been writing One Piece for 24 years now. A monumental task to start reading now, but the payoff is HUGE. I didn't start reading One Piece until 4-5 years back and recently caught up to its 1000th chapter and I cannot believe Oda has managed to not just retain, but better the quality of the story he's telling. His world building is bar none and he'll sow seeds of an idea in chapter 200 that comes to fruition in chapter 800. There is no wasted concept or storyline here. It'll be a slow start but I promise it will be worth it.

Set in an alternate steampunk-like reality where alchemy exists and is bound by its rules, Fullmetal Alchemist takes us on a journey with two brothers trying to undo the damage they did after flouting one of alchemy's foundational rules. Profoundly philosophical, the manga also is a social commentary on human greed.

If there's only one book you pick up from this whole article, make it this one. Yagami Light, a genius student one day comes across a book that lets him kill people just by writing their name in it. Read this for the sheer drama and one of the most ingenious and original cat and mouse stories ever, or even better, watch the anime adaptation on Netflix (not the movie).

The new runaway manga hit, One Punch Man's setup is simple. There's a man who can end any fight with a single punch. Even with such a simple premise ONE and Yusuke Murata manage to craft a fun, entertaining story that became a sensation.

Yep, that Yusuke Murata. Well before he came onboard for One Punch Man, Yusuke Murata was involved in drawing Eyeshield 21 - a story about a bullied wimpy boy who enters the American Football club because of his freakish running speed. This is not one of the greatest comics ever but the story is heartfelt, the action is insane, and the characters are beautifully developed with an amazing story arc. It made me read on even though I had absolutely zero interest in American Football.