Invincible

Vol. 1-

by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley

Image Comics, 2003-

Superhero comics never read with so much fun. Invincible is the story of Mark Grayson, a young man who happens to be the son of Earth's greatest super hero (for the benefit of those who have not read the series, I shall be skimpy on the plot). With sprinkles that remind me of early Spider-Man (I'm making a guess here since I never read the early Spider-Man books) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Invincible with all it's kick-ass action and big monster and villain slugfests, is essentially the tale of a young man learning to deal with everyday issues of life.

Trivia: Each volume of the softcover is named after a sitcom.

Note: This series in ongoing.

Buddha

Vol. 1-8

by Osamu Tezuka

Vertical Inc., 2003-2005

My first translated in English manga comic. I was immediately hooked and sought out the entire series as quickly as I could get my hands on it. It's an epic story that is on the scale of The Lord of the Rings. And yet the stories have a strong endearing quality of human nature. I also found my curiosity in Buddhism and its history stoked.

Note: The original Japanese series was published in 14 volumes from 1972 to 1983.

The Walking Dead

Vol. 1-

by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard

Image Comics, 2004-

The hardcover collects 2 volumes of the softcover. i.e. Book 1 of the hardcover is actually Vol. 1 & 2 of the softcovers. Get it? I didn't invent the numbering system, so.... :)

What make The Walking Dead so compelling is the human drama. That, and the fact that while the dead are a danger to the living, the greatest threat usually comes from the living themselves. It's a brand new world that a group of survivors find themselves in. As they make their way across the new landscape, they come across other survivors. How did the zombie plaque come about? Is there a cure? No one knows. But it's the journey the characters make as they search for answers and new ways to survive that is the crux of the story.

Note: This series is ongoing.

Fell Vol. 1: Feral City

by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith

Image Comics, 2007

newuniversal: Everything Went White

by Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca
Marvel Comics, 2007

For the uninitiated, Warren Ellis is one of the top writers in the graphic novel landscapes. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to blow the reader away with his story telling that often pushes the boundaries and inspires the imagination.  

newuniversal is not a new story. The basic premise is this: In a world of normal human beings, how do we react when super-powered individuals appear on the horizon? 

Ellis has this ability to take a typical story and look at it from a fresh perspective. At the same time, he somehow manages to intertwine the ordinary and the everyday mundane with the fantastic without either seeming out of place. All this, he does while exploring the next step in human evolution - 

and raises the question of whether mankind is fearful of new things and change.

References to real world individuals such as Aaron Kwok and Hillary Clinton will leave some tickled. But this re-imagining of an old Marvel Comics concept rom from the 1980s is probably one of the best sci-fi super human thriller dramas published in graphic novels today.

The only pity is this volume leaves you wanting for more, but the next volume in this continuing story does not look likely to see print in the near future. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this, check out Supreme Power (by J. Michael Straczynski & Gary Frank) and Warren Ellis's magnificent space operas Ocean (with Chris Sprouse) and Orbiter (with Colleen Doran)