Here we bring you 25 must-see titles for fans of the cartoon worldEither in the form of comics or graphic novels.
25 great jobs that are all essential to us, but that is undoubtedly a good list to start, highlighting comics of the most varied that shows us various styles, authors and publishers.
'300'
Original title: '300'
Screenwriter: Frank Miller
Cartoonists: Frank Miller
Year: 1998
Editorial: Dark Horse Comics
We begin this review with one of the most popular comic creators, and it is that Frank Miller is known to fans of the cartoon world as well as movie lovers, since the artist has been involved in several adaptations of his own works, such as '300', one of the most prominent comics of the last decades that was made into a film by Zack Snyder in 2006 with a subsequent sequel by Noam Murro in 2014.
Argument
Frank Miller tells us in this work the fight of 300 Spartan warriors against a Persian army led by Xerxes I, much larger in number that sought to advance towards mainland Greece. Story based on battle of Thermopylae which took place in 480 BC and had as its main protagonist the King of Sparta Leonidas I.
'Adolf'
Original title: 'Adolf ni tsugu'
Screenwriter: Osamu Tezuka
Cartoonists: Osamu Tezuka
Years: 1983-1986
Editorial: Bungei shunju
The next work to highlight is 'Adolf', again inspired by a very relevant historical moment, in this case in the Second World War.
Argument
'Adolf' follows the story of three characters with that name from the rise of Nazism during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin until 1983. On the one hand, the Jew Adolf Kamil and his best friend Adolf Kaufmann, who live in Japan and by another Adolf Hitler. It all starts with the search for some very important documents to overthrow the Nazis by the Gestapo and Kempentai to destroy them, to later move the story, after the war, to the new state of Israel where Adolf Kamil and Adolf Kaufmann will face each other as they find themselves on opposite sides.
'Black hole'
Original title: 'Black Hole'
Screenwriter: Charles burns
Cartoonists: Charles burns
Years: 1995-2005
Editorial: Kitchen Ink Press
In the mid-90s, Charles Burns surprised us with a revolutionary comic that showed us in a brutal wayor difficult is the step to adulthood y how misunderstood and lost adolescents feel, in this case Americans. All this with a point of terror based on strange phenomena.
Argument
'Black Hole' focuses on the lives of four characters, Chris, Rob, Keith and Eliza, from a middle-class Seattle neighborhood in the 70s, during a summer in which the many young people have contracted a sexually transmitted disease which causes them to develop physical mutations.
'Akira'
Original title: 'Akira'
Screenwriter: Katsuhiro Otomo
Cartoonists: Katsuhiro Otomo
Years: 1982-1990
Editorial: Kodansha
Another notable Japanese work is 'Akira', probably one of the best asian manga and undoubtedly the most famous, especially after its adaptation to the big screen in the form of animation in the late 80s by Katsuhiro Otomo himself.
Argument
The comic is set in the post-apocalyptic city of Neo-Tokyo 2019, three decades after a nuclear explosion almost completely destroyed the planet, subsequently leading to nuclear war. Neo-Tokyo, megalopolis built on the ruins of ancient TokyoIt is an oppressive city with many problems, such as unemployment, violence, drugs and terrorism. Citizen dissatisfaction causes religious sects and terrorist groups to promote the legend of the "guinea pig child", which is said to have deposited the "absolute energy", which could lead to a rebirth of Japan.
'Asterix the Gaul'
Original title: 'Asterix le gaulois'
Screenwriter: René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo and Jean-Yves Ferry (at different times)
Cartoonists: Albert Uderzo and Didier Conrad (at different times)
Years: 1959-Present
Editorial: Dargaud
A comic that has been in bookstores for more than half a century, as is the case with 'Asterix the Gaul', it deserves a prominent space on this list alone for that reason. In addition, we must also highlight its wide audience, since it is one of the favorites of both adults and children.
Argument
“We are in the year 50 before Jesus Christ. All of Gaul is occupied by the Romans ... All of it? Not! A village populated by irreducible Gauls still and always resists the invader ... » With this introduction, each of the comics of 'Asterix the Gaul' begins and what better way to define the plot of this comic that everyone already knows.
'The Adventures of Tintin'
Original title: 'Les aventures de Tintin et Milou'
Screenwriter: Hergé
Cartoonists: Hergé
Years: 1929-1976
Editorial: Editions du Petit Vingtième
Another cartoon for all ages to highlight is 'The Adventures of Tintin'. Belgian Hergé's work is one of the most popular in comic history and one of the oldest, beginning in 1929. Young and old alike enjoy 'The Adventures of Tintin' that have taken him to the most remote places.
Argument
The cartoon revolves around Tintin, who, together with his dog Snowy, is dedicated to solve the most bizarre mysteries, usually with political implications. Characters like Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, and the Dupont and Dupond brothers help him in these adventures.
'Calvin and Hobbes'
Original title: 'Calvin and Hobbes'
Screenwriter: Bill Waterson
Cartoonists: Bill Waterson
Years: 1985-1995
Editorial: Andrews McMeel Publishing
The comic strip is also very remarkable on some occasions, a dead one of it is 'Calvin and Hobbes', without a doubt one of the best in this genre. Bill Waterson brought this work to the press pages daily for a decade, between 1985 and 1995, showing the great quality of the work.
Argument
This comic strip develops situations with Calvin and Hobbes as protagonists, the first child and the second a stuffed tiger, or royal tiger depending on the vignette. And it is that 'Calvin and Hobbes' despite its appearance of a children's comic, nothing is further from reality a brainy work that leads to great reflections with various readings.
'Contract with God'
Original title: 'A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories'
Screenwriter: Will Eisner
Cartoonists: Will Eisner
Year: 1978
Editorial: Baronet Books
With 'Contract with God' in 1978 came what we know today as a graphic novel. Will Eisner is one of the most prominent artists and this trilogy mix of social realism and melodrama is one of his best works.
Argument
'The Street Singer', 'The Super' and 'Cookalein' are the name of these three stories that are set in the 30s Manhattan, a dark, dirty and gloomy place after the Great Depression.
'Alan Moore's Swamp Thing'
Original title: 'The Swamp Thing'
Screenwriter: Alan Moore
Cartoonists: Others
Years: 1984-1987
Editorial: DC Comics
Alan Moore is undoubtedly one of the best artists of our time, there are several works to highlight, but the first of them is'The Swamp Thing ', a series that has had several screenwriters, but which with Alan Moore reached its peak.
Argument
The artist, creator of great titles such as 'Watchmen' or 'V for Vendetta', takes one of the most famous characters in the world of comics after 20 issues and redefines with a fresh start at number 21, showing us the beginning of the character created from the flora.
'Daredevil: Born Again'
Original title: 'Daredevil: Born Again'
Screenwriter: Frank Miller
Cartoonists: David mazzucchelli
Years: 1986
Editorial: Marvel Comics
Among the multitude of Marvel Comics titles, many of them very good, highlight Frank Miller's work on 'Daredevil: Born Again', who has taken one of the minor characters of the publishing house to the top.
Argument
Karen Page, Matt Murdock's old love
'From hell'
Original title: 'From Hell'
Screenwriter: Alan Moore
Cartoonists: Eddie campbell
Years: 1977-1991
Editorial: Apex novelties
Another outstanding work of the great Alan Moore is 'From Hell', a painstakingly documented work revolving around the Jack the Ripper murders at the end of the XIX century.
Argument
'From Hell' addresses the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper, a murderer who has never been discovered who he was, through the theory of the book 'Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution' by Stephen Knight. Considered unsolvable by experts, this theory is that the murders were committed to hide the birth of an illegitimate son of Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence and grandson of Queen Victoria, showing a Masonic conspiracy.
'Genesis'
Original title: 'The Book of Genesis'
Screenwriter: Robert crumb
Cartoonists: Robert crumb
Year: 2009
Editorial: WW Norton & Company
Robert Crumb is another of the authors to highlight, and although most of his work has been developed in the Underground, it is worth referring to one of his latest works, far removed from all his work, 'Genesis'. On this occasion the author dares with the very bible to carry out a much more faithful adaptation than you might expect.
Argument
Robert Crumb carries out a faithful adaptation of 'Genesis' with violence and explicit sex although in no case gratuitous. A realistic adaptation that surprised its fans by not being a satire as many expected.
'Kick-Ass'
Original title: 'Kick-Ass'
Screenwriter: Mark Millar
Cartoonists: John Romita Jr.
Years: 2008-2010
Editorial: Icon comics
Another of the most popular artists who deserve to be very present in this list is Mark Millar. As has happened with Frank Miller, Mark Millar has become extremely popular outside the comic book circuit for his adaptations to the big screen, 'Kick-Ass' is one of his works that has transcended the cartoons with great success, although to turn away from the original idea. While the film seems aimed at teenagers, the comic is intended for adult audiences due to its violence.
Argument
The story revolves around Dave Lizewski, a very normal New York teenager who, inspired by the world of comics, seeks to become a superhero. To do this, she buys a costume on eBay to wear under her clothes and tries to get in shape by exercising and later going out to fight crime.
'Mafalda'
Original title: 'Mafalda'
Screenwriter: Quino
Cartoonists: Quino
Years: 1964-1973
Editorial: Editorial Jorge Alvarez
And if we have previously highlighted 'Calvin and Hobbes', we cannot ignore their influences such as 'Mafalda', probably the most prominent and popular work in Spanish in comic history. Comic strip that Quino worked on for almost a decade and began in 1964. Despite the fact that it has been more than 40 years since Quino stopped writing new stories about the character, everyone knows this girl who hates soup.
Argument
Mafalda is the main protagonist of this comic strip and, despite her pessimism, represents the idealistic and utopian aspiration to make a better world. Through this character and his acid comments, Quino showed us a reflection of the socio-political problems of our world in the 60s, something that is still valid today in many cases.
'Maus. Story of a survivor '
Original title: 'Maus. A Survivor's Tale '
Screenwriter: Art spiegelman
Cartoonists: Art spiegelman
Years: 1977-1991
Editorial: Apex novelties
If a graphic novel is capable of showing the horror of the fascist rise, that is, along with 'Adolf', Art Spiegelman's work 'Maus'. A masterpiece in the form of a fable.
Argument
With mice as a representation of Jews and cats as the Nazis of history, 'Maus' narrates the horrors experienced between 1930 and 1945 by his family through two timelines, in a Spiegelman interviewing his father Vladek in the years 1978 and 1979 and in the other we see Vladek recounting his experiences in the first person.
'Persepolis'
Original title: 'Persepolis'
Screenwriter: Marjane Satrapi
Cartoonists: Marjane Satrapi
Years: 2000-20003
Editorial: The Association
Another moment echoed, very necessarily, by Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel 'Persepolis'. In her the author tells her own story, from his childhood in the Tehran of the Islamic revolution until his difficult adolescence in Europe.
Argument
'Persepolis' tells the story of Marjane Satrapi herself who grew up in a fundamentalist Islamic regime, which would later lead her to leave her country. The comic begins with his childhood vision in 1979, when he was only ten years old, of what was the social and political change after the end of more than five decades of the reign of the Shah of Persia, giving way to an Islamic republic.
'Preacher'
Original title: 'Preacher'
Screenwriter: G
Cartoonists: Steve Dillon
Years: 1995-2000
Editorial: Vertigo (DC Comics)
One of the best comics of the late XNUMXth century and one of the most provocative is 'Preacher'. A comic that brings violence to the world of religion in a brutal way.
Argument
Garth Ennis's work tells the story of a priest who, after merging with a fallen angel, is dispensing justice for the United States while he goes in search of God himself to ask him for explanations for having abandoned his creation, the human being.
'The return of the Dark Knight'
Original title: 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'
Screenwriter: Frank Miller
Cartoonists: Frank Miller
Year: 1986
Editorial: DC Comics
One of the quintessential DC characters is Batman and if we are to highlight a work by this character it has to be 'The return of the Dark Knight', series created by Frank Miller and that was Christopher Nolan's inspiration in bringing the character back to the big screen.
Argument
This comic recovers the character of Batman / Bruce Wayne a decade after his retirement when he has become an alcoholic who risks his life in dangerous car races and that he has returned to his recurring nightmares of the death of his parents and his fall into the well.
'The Sandman'
Original title: 'The Sandman'
Screenwriter: Neil Gaiman
Cartoonists: Others
Years: 1989-1996
Editorial: DC Comics
Started as a series of horror comics and later drifting into the fantastic, 'The Sandman' has been one of the most iconic and popular works of the early 90s.
Argument
Neil Gaiman's work follows the character of Dream, the anthropomorphic representation of one's dreams, who belongs to the family of the eternals formed by the brothers Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, the twins Desire and Despair and Delirium. Dream, as long-lived as the universe itself, has to decide whether to change or perish and it seems that it has already made its decision.
'Sin City'
Original title: 'Sin City'
Screenwriter: Frank Miller
Cartoonists: Frank Miller
Years: 1991-2000
Editorial: Dark Horse Comics
Probably his masterpiece and if not at least the best known, we must highlight Frank Miller's comic 'Sin City', which was also brought to the big screen by Robert Rodríguez together with the author himself in a very faithful way, especially aesthetically.
Argument
Frank Miller tells in this graphic novel several stories that happen in Basin City, an extremely violent and corrupt city that they have dubbed Sin City, Sin City English.
'Snoopy'
Original title: 'Peanuts'
Screenwriter: Charles M. Schultz
Cartoonists: Charles M. Schultz
Years: 1950-2000
Editorial: United Feature Syndicate
Another comic strip to highlight and that was also an influence for 'Calvin and Hobbes', and why not say it also for 'Mafalda', is 'Snoopy'. It's probably not as sour as Quino's, or as brainy as Bill Waterson's, but Schultz's stories are too they combined criticism and humor in a very intelligent way.
Argument
'Snoopy' is a comic strip for the press that narrates the experiences of a group of schoolchildren in their day to day, with the main protagonists being Charlie Brown, in Spain Carlitos, and his dog Snoopy.
'The Spirit'
Original title: 'The Spirit'
Screenwriter: Will Eisner and others
Cartoonists: Others
Years: 1940-1952
Editorial: Quality Comics
'The Spirit' was one of the most important comics of the 40s and you have to especially highlight the numbers signed by Will Eisner.
Argument
Closer to the police genre, although with traditional, comedy and even romantic touches, this cartoon narrates The Adventures of Masked Justice Denny Colt, who fights crime under the moniker The Spirit.
'The Ultimates'
Original title: 'The Ultimates'
Screenwriter: Mark Millar
Cartoonists: Bryan hitch
Years: 2002-2004
Editorial: Marvel Comics
Another Marvel comic to note is 'The Ultimates' by Mark Millar, who brought the Avengers back to their heyday with this new series.
Argument
The comic is a modern version of the classic Avengers, which happens in an alternate world. So we see new Ultimate Nick Fury, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Giant Man, Black Widow, Mercury and Scarlet Witch.
'V for Vendetta'
Original title: 'V for Vendetta'
Screenwriter: Alan Moore
Cartoonists: David Lloyd
Years: 1982-1988
Editorial: Vertigo (DC Comics)
Also from Alan Moore we have to highlight 'V for Vendetta', a great graphic novel that became more popular if possible after the film adaptation that convinced the public with its great sociopolitical criticism very appropriate at the time.
Argument
The story is set in a post-nuclear war England taken over by a totalitarian regime called Norsefire that controls the population using repression and propaganda, as well as technological elements such as cameras and microphones. A masked revolutionary named V fights against the regime becoming a leader.
'Watchmen'
Original title: 'Watchmen'
Screenwriter: Alan Moore
Cartoonists: Dave Gibbons and John Higgins
Years: 1986-1987
Editorial: DC Comics
To end in style we have 'Watchmen', a comic that many dare to say that it is the best in history. Without a doubt 'Watchmen', as well as other works of the moment, marked a before and after in the world of cartoons, in his case by showing its protagonists more as antiheroes than as classic superheroes.
Argument
'Watchmen' shows us an alternate world set in a somewhat different 80's, in which there are superheroes as the protagonists of the story. The turning point came in 1938 and the most significant changes is the Richard Nixon win and result of the Vietnam War.
These are 25 titles of the highlights of the world of comics, obviously there are many more, so if you want to share with us which ones you would include, do not hesitate to tell us through the comments. These 25 works are arranged in alphabetical order so there is no intention of highlighting one above the other, but if you think that some are better than others, do not hesitate to point it out in the comments.