1. Hard Boiled

Dark Horse 3-issue miniseries written by Frank Miller with art by Geof Darrow, originally published Sept 1990 through March 1992. Rereleased in 2017 with new colors by Dave Stewart.

2. The Shoalin Cowboy - Beginning of the End Results

Dark Horse collection from 2026 of Geof Darrow’s original 7-issue series, Start Trek, first published by Burlyman between 2004 and 2007, and includes rare original artwork and the precursor comics of Bourbon Thret, previously published only in France by Moebius’ publishing house, Ædena.

3. Valerian and Laureline

Album 1 (1970)

Album 2 (1971)

Album 3 (1972)

Album 4 (1972)

Album 5 (1973)

Album 6 (1975)

Album 7 (1977)

Album 8 (1978)

Album 9 (1980)

Album 10 (1981)

Albums 1-10 by Moebius, first published by Dargaud between 1970 and 1981 in French and republished more recently in English by Cinebook. Better than Star Wars!

4. The Metabarons

Vol 1: OTHON

Vol 2: HONORATA

Vol 3: AGHAR

Vol 4: Oda

Vol 5: STEELHEAD

Vol 6: DOÑA VICENTA

Vol 7: AGHORA

VOL 8: NO NAME, THE LAST METABARON

8-volume space opera, a multi-generational family saga that plays like a science-fiction One Hundred Years of Solitude, written by Alejandro Jodorowsky with art by Juan Giménez, first published by Les Humanoïdes Associés between 1992 and 2003, collected and republished in English between 2001 and 2004 by their American counterpart, Humanoids.

5. The Complete Maus

Pulitzer Prize winning 2-volume graphic novel by Art Spiegelman, serialized from 1980 until 1991, when it was published in full by Pantheon.



6. The Complete Calvin & Hobbes

3-volume set containing all strips by Bill Watterson, serialized between November 1985 and December 1995, collected and republished in 2005 by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

7. Scud: The Disposable Assassin - The Whole Shebang

In a single volume, The Whole Shebang contains all 24 issues, with art by Rob Schrab and writing by Schrab, Dan Harmon, and Mondy Carter, the first 20 issues published by Fireman Press between 1994 and 1998, then picked up and concluded in the long-awaited 4-issue run in 2008 by Image.

8. Judge Dredd

Comic book created by John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, published by 2000 AD since 1977. I’ve only become an avid Dreddhead since 2025, but I’ve read most of the major storylines. I love Wagner’s foundational work and his ongoing contributions, especially to America, The Pit, Total War, and Tour of Duty. Writers like Alan Grant and Al Ewing stand out, along with artists Ezquerra, Colin MacNeil, and Brian Bolland. And I’m especially fond of the stellar collaboration between writer Rob Williams and artist Henry Flint, from whose work I’ve selected my top three favorite storylines: Trifecta and Titan (both collected in 2016) and A Better World (collected in 2025).

9. The Goon: Bunch of Old Crap

An omnibus 6-volume collection of the ongoing comic by Eric Powell, published since March 1999 and eventually picked up by Dark Horse in 2003. Episodes #32 and #33 are highlights, along with the Buzzard spin-off issues #1-3, all from the first part of Volume 4: Death’s Greedy Comeuppance.

10. From Hell

Graphic novel by Alan Moore, with art by Eddie Campbell, began serialization in 1987 with Taboo and continued with various publishers until collected in 1999 by Eddie Campbell Comics.