mike
22 Series
Apr 7, 2026
Staff
Ranked
Noir and Gritty Crime Masterpieces
Comics that lean into the shadows, focusing on detectives, criminals, and the moral gray.
The Good Asian (2021)
Image Comics
Limited Series
10 issues
2
A brilliant noir mystery set in 1930s Chinatown.
Richard Stark's Parker (2009)
IDW Publishing
4 issues
3
Darwyn Cooke's perfect adaptations of the classic heist novels.
Sleeper (2003)
DC Comics
12 issues
4
Ed Brubaker's early masterpiece about an undercover agent in a villain group.
Blacksad (2000)
Dargaud
7 issues
5
Brought a classic 50s noir feel to a world of anthropomorphic animals.
Reckless (2020)
Image Comics
1 issue
6
A series of graphic novels about a fixer in 1980s Los Angeles.
Sin City: The Hard Goodbye (1992)
Dark Horse Comics
1 issue
7
The definitive high-contrast noir series that redefined the genre.
Gotham Central (2003)
DC Comics
40 issues
8
A police procedural focused on the cops living in Batman's shadow.
Scene of the Crime (1999)
DC Comics
Limited Series
4 issues
9
The first collaboration between Brubaker and Phillips.
Criminal (2006)
Marvel Comics
10 issues
10
Ed Brubaker's masterful anthology of interconnected crime stories.
Road to Perdition (1998)
DC Comics
1 issue
11
A classic father-son revenge story set during the Great Depression.
Torso (1998)
Image Comics
6 issues
12
Bendis's true crime story about the hunt for a serial killer in Cleveland.
100 Bullets (1999)
DC Comics
100 issues
13
A stylish conspiracy thriller that perfected the 'cool' noir vibe.
A History of Violence (1997)
DC Comics
1 issue
14
Explored the theme of a past catching up to a quiet family man.
Kane (1993)
Dancing Elephant Press
31 issues
15
Paul Grist's stylish and experimental police procedural.
Stray Bullets (1995)
Image Comics
41 issues
16
A raw and unpredictable indie crime series spanning decades.
Murder Me Dead (2000)
El Capitan
Limited Series
9 issues
17
David Lapham's love letter to classic femme fatale noir.
Deadly Class (2014)
Image Comics
56 issues
18
An 80s-set story about a school for assassins that feels like a crime epic.
Incognito (2008)
Marvel Comics
Limited Series
6 issues
20
A story about a former super-villain in witness protection.
The Fade Out (2014)
Image Comics
Limited Series
12 issues
21
A beautiful and tragic look at a murder in 1940s Hollywood.
Velvet (2013)
Image Comics
15 issues
22
A female-led spy thriller that subverts classic Bond tropes.
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