One of the age old problems of being comics fan is how to share your love of comics with the people that you love. Certainly, it's enough that they accept you for who you are, but its so much better when they can appreciate why you love it. The problem is that mainstream comics come with the stigma of "superheroes". They've been called adolescent power fantasies, and perhaps they are, but comics are at their best when they transcend those stigmas.
The following is a list of five comics for people who don't like comics.
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This is not a story about killing giants. Except it is. But really, its about life and death. Enter Barbara Thorson, a precocious young girl who can't seem to get along with the rest of the world. Her family, her classmates, her principal... none of them seem to understand why Barbara won't just fit in. But Barbara can't be normal; she kills giants. And with her great war hammer, Covaleski... if she's brave enough, and strong enough, she may just be able to stop Death itself.
This is a story of a young girl finding her strength and facing reality, even when the line between what is real and unreal blurs.
If the Soprano's is more your style, try reading Jason Aaron's gritty crime story about falling empires and decaying cultures. Dash Badhorse is a man on a mission. He's FBI and he's been sent back to the home and people he left behind to bring down Lincoln Red Crow, the man who runs his reservation with an iron fist. It's Indians, guns, drugs and adrenaline... and one lone FBI Agent caught in the middle.. with a pair of nunchucks.
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Regarless of public perception, Superhero comics are probably here to stay. And as long as there are Superheroes, there will be superhero deconstruction stories. Writer Warren Ellis brings perhaps the most insane, intellectual analysis of mainstream comics ever, meanwhile writing a gripping story about the secret history of the world and the madmen who rule it. Together with artist John Cassaday, Ellis gives the superhero story for people who hate superheroes.
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John Custer is a man in search of God. But unlike most people, he aims to literally find God, beat him senseless and hold him accountable for all the evil in the world. Together with his gun toting ex-girlfriend, a vampire and the immortal demonspawn inside his head, he just might do it. Preacher is without a doubt one of the most offensive, depraved comics ever published. It also happens to be one of the best.
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What if your favorite fairy tale characters were alive and living in a secret society in Manhattan where they have been exiled from their homelands and must fight for their lives against impossible odds? This is the central premise of Fables, which follows the day to day lives and adventures of Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, Old King Cole, Cinderella, Pinocchio and many, many more. It is frankly one of the finest comics ever written and a perfect example of the potential of comics and storytelling in general.
Just five examples out of a thousand. Indie comics alone present a wealth of possibilities. For more suggestions, ask you local comic shop.
Comments
I always appreciate these entry suggestions. I like comics, but lose my way once the titles I read are over. I tend to like the non-super-heroes ones. And Fables and Preacher are both ones I've read and enjoyed, though, boy, are they different!!
I gotta say... All of these sound like stories I'd be interested in reading! -And what with H now making weekly trips to the comic shop (I'll give you a moment to feel the pride)......... It shouldn't be too hard to get my hands on one;) Thanks for the suggestions!
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