Lists

Gripping tales of clandestine operations, double agents, and Cold War paranoia. The finest spy comics ever published.

The massive line-wide events that actually lived up to the hype and delivered on their epic promises. Crisis, Secret Wars, Blackest Night, and more.

Story arcs guaranteed to make you cry, dealing with loss, grief, and ultimate sacrifice. Have tissues ready.

The specific story arcs that pulled back the curtain to reveal how the greatest antagonists came to be. The best villain backstories in comics.

The wave of UK writers in the 80s and 90s who brought unprecedented literary maturity to American comics. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and more.

The Japanese creators whose works achieved unprecedented global cultural dominance. Akira Toriyama, Naoki Urasawa, Junji Ito, and more.

The trailblazing women who broke into a male-dominated industry to reshape the medium and pave the way for future generations.

The most powerful beings in the universe, from planet-eaters to intergalactic peacekeepers. Characters who operate on a scale beyond worlds.

Characters who successfully took over a famous superhero name from their mentor and made it their own. Wally West, Kate Bishop, Terry McGinnis, and more.

The trenchcoat-wearing, spell-casting detectives who handle cases regular cops cannot touch. John Constantine, Hellboy, Dylan Dog, and more.

Characters driven by unbearable grief, revenge, or curses who do the wrong things for the right reasons. The Punisher, Spawn, Ghost Rider, and more.

The greatest superhero teams composed entirely of women. Birds of Prey, A-Force, the Defenders, and more all-female rosters that proved they need no backup.

Teams assembled specifically to fight mystical, demonic, or occult threats. Justice League Dark, Midnight Sons, Hellfire Club, and more.

Localized teams that protect specific neighborhoods and boroughs rather than fighting galactic threats. The Defenders, TMNT, and others who keep it ground-level.

Teams bound by blood or marriage who explore family dynamics alongside saving the world. The Fantastic Four, the Summers family, and other dynasties in comics.

Deeply personal, emotionally raw series based entirely on the creators own lives and traumas. Maus, Persepolis, Fun Home, and the best memoirs in comics form.

The high-octane, action-packed manga that defined the battle genre and captivated teenagers globally. Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia, and more.

Immersive series set in painstakingly accurate historical periods driven by gripping fictional narratives. Maus, From Hell, Corto Maltese, and more.

Grounded series exploring human relationships, daily struggles, heartbreak, and modern love without a superpower in sight.

Entire stories told through brilliant sequential art with absolutely no dialogue or captions. G.I. Joe #21, Saga of the Swamp Thing #33, and more wordless wonders.

The monumental issues where iconic characters fell in battle, changing their universes forever. Some deaths that actually stuck, and some that really should have.

The single issues that introduced legendary costume upgrades and redesigns. Spider-Man black suit, Nightwing blue and black, Thor female, and more iconic first appearances.

The most heartwarming, bizarre, and hilarious holiday-themed single issues ever printed. Essential festive reading for comics fans.

Mind-expanding storylines spanning infinite earths, alternate timelines, and reality-hopping variants. The greatest multiverse stories ever told in comics.