Top 5 Trades: The Indies

Not everyone collects their comics on a weekly basis. Some people don't like waiting a month between issues and like to get a whole story in one neat single package: a trade paperback. These people are probably healthier and more financially stable compared to those of us who go for a weekly fix.  Then there are the people like me…who do both. It's an obsessive compulsion and I cannot help myself! However, it also means I have a lot of knowledge of what's available in trade paperback format. So, without further ado, let's begin the first of a series of Top Five Trades. This installment? Indies!

Strangers in Paradise: (pictured above)
I cannot describe how much I love this series. Terry Moore crafted a chain of stories that not only featured strong and multifaceted characters, but their equally complex relationships. He has the ability to write realistic romantic entanglements that will make you believe he's been spying on you for years and culling your life for his source material. Which is an especially impressive feat, given the type of triangles (…and quadrangles…quintangles? Sure, why not!) that he's created are beyond the realm of what most of us experienced. Never the less, you will see your words coming from one of his characters. Add a dose of political intrigue, gang violence, estranged family members and a rock star, and you've got one hell of a series. And it's not only available in trade format (19 volumes), but also in the extremely portable pocketbook trade (6 volumes)!

JTHM:
What's not to love about a book called Johnny The Homicidal Maniac? Johnny, also known as Nny for short, was was the brainchild of Jhonen Vasquez, who also gave us Squee, I Feel Sick, Filler Bunny and Invader Zim. All of which have featured his own brand of off-kilter humor that has been widely embraced by more than just the Hot Topic crowd that buys up the associated merchandise with an unholy fiendishness. But JTHM featured a tongue in cheek quality that I suspect was lost on most of that particular demographic of 'Anne Guish' clones. All the same, if you like American Psycho and Dexter, chances are you will like Nny. He's like their more sarcastic, younger, goth brother. Plus, it features Satan dressed like a cheerleader!

The Crow:
Most people know The Crow from the cult classic film that suffered a tragedy on set that ended Brandon Lee's life. What fewer people know is that the actual comic book series predates the movie by 5 years and was written as a means to exorcise the emotions James O'Barr felt after losing his girlfriend to a drunk driver.  It is a organic work that is visually interesting while being emotionally raw, which makes it a quintessential independent book. There have been several attempts to recapture the essence of the original story, in just about every medium imaginable. Flesh & Blood was the only comic book that came close, and no other movie or the ill-conceived TV series were in the same league as the original. It is also coming up on the 20th anniversary of it's initial publishing, so be on the look out for a Special Author's Edition, rumored to have an extra 60 pages of never before seen material.

Kabuki:
David Mack began Kabuki in 1994 with Caliber Press – which is when I found him at MegaCon's Artist Alley and picked up a copy of all of his available issues. Since then, he's been through a few other publishers as his work gained acclaim, with his most current work being published as a part of Marvel's Icon Comics imprint. The stories that David has crafted go far beyond multi-layered to approach multi-dimensional in every sense of the term. He seamlessly mixes Japan circa World War II with Japan circa the not-too-distant future, where his lead character has become a covert government agent who attempts to control the Yakuza while maintaining the persona of a pop-culture icon. His first books began with a cost effective and pared down black and white style. But be prepared for a format that grows and eventually breaks the boundaries of what most people believe about the average comic book, as David tells his stories using every form of 2D media available to him and mixes in a generous helping of philosophy, introspection, dreams, memories and delirious recollections. But, if you want to jump into the thick of things, my favorite volume is Kabuki: Metamorphosis.

Dawn:
Dawn started life as a pin-up, a red head that Joseph Michael Linsner couldn't seem to stop drawing. But over time, her story has evolved and we not know her as the Goddess of birth and rebirth, lover of Cernunnos (the God of death, naturally), and generally not a woman you can mess with because chances are that she will win. After all, she can travel the planes and knows what really went on between God and Lucifer during The Morning Star's fall from grace, so rest assured that she knows enough about you too. Spurned on by Linsner's incredible art, all three graphic novels are well worth a read. But, like all stories, it's best to start at the beginning, and for that you'll want to pick up Lucifer's Halo.

And so concludes my Top 5 Indie list. Believe me it wasn't easy to compile, not just because there are so many great independently published stories out there (and there are) but also because I found it's much harder to classify an indie. As such, keep an eye out over the coming weeks for more of my personal Top 5 lists for trade paperbacks, including lists for Marvel, DC, Vertigo and more. And if you have an idea for a list you would like to see, let me know!

Comments

Thanks for this Jessica! I have just gotten into comics and lists like these are exactly what I am looking for.

For future lists, how about more of a break-down on genre rather than publisher? Since I have no real idea what makes a DC comic different from a Marvel comic (besides the iconic characters they share), genre would be more helpful to me. Something like "Superhero", "Historical", "Sci-Fi", "Fantasy", "Crime", etc., etc.

Thanks and love the blog!

Blue Sean | May 22, 2008 10:38:15 AM | #

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What, no Cerebus? Yes, I'll grant that Dave Sim's creation went off the deep end a decade ago, but i don't think any comic book has ever sparked so much debate, anger and praise. But no matter your feeling about Sim or the messages in Cerebus, there's no denying 300 issues as basically a two-man operation (after artist Gerhard joined) is a mighty achievement. The fact it was an indie for its entire run is even more remarkable.

Alex | May 27, 2008 8:39:00 AM | #

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