There are probably a billion comics out in the wild right now, and trying to navigate the mess of what’s out there can be daunting. Fortunately, your friends at World of Geek Stuff have poked our heads into the well of comic-book wisdom and plucked out our favorite five books out there now for you to sate your nerd thirst for comic book awesomeness!
The next five books aren’t in any sort of order, and some of them have been out for a while so they’re easy to get ahold of. Let us know in the comments what you think and which ones we need to check out our Awesome Comics That You NEED to Read!
Curse Words
5. Curse Words
Story: Charles Soule
Art: Jordan Boyd, Ryan Browne
This comic reminds me of what I like to call “Van Art Fantasy”, and if you know what that means then you are probably already reading this. Curse Words is a new story published by Image Comics and it tells the story of Wizord (not kidding, his actual name) a man that looks like Gandalf but with the attitude of someone who wrote the how to guide of “Get Rich and Famous Through Magic!” He’s by no means the hero of this story but the story of a high Fantasy Wizard in modern NYC is such a fun romp that you’ll be chomping at the bit for the next book. This is definitely an Awesome Comics That You NEED to Read.
Who Should Read this?: If you like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher but don’t think Harry is nearly mercenary enough then this is the book for you.
Rat Queens
4. Rat Queens
Story: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Art: Roc Upchurch
Badass Elven Sorceress? Check! Kickass Dwarven Warrior ? Check! Reluctant Priestess of a Chthonic Deity? Check! Drug Peddling Halfling (ish) Thief? Check! A story about a mercenary group of the sickest (as the kids say) ladies in the land? Yeah, check that too. Rat Queens (published by Image) has quickly become our favorite book out there. The story is brilliant, the characters, while flawed out the wazzoo are some of the most self-actualized characters ever. It’s a super cool sword and sorcery and if that’s your jam then you need to check this book out!
Who Needs To Read This?: If you love Conan or Red Sonja, or have ever played Dungeons and Dragons then you NEED to read this. Also if you want to read a book with a very strong female cast then this does that too!
Darth Vader
3. Darth Vader
Story: Kieron Gillen
Art: Salvador Laroca, Adi Granov
I can’t tell you how much I loved this storyline (now finished). If you left the prequels thinking that Darth Vader was nothing more than a whiny punk with a sand phobia then you NEED to read this. This story (published by Marvel) covers the time between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back with Darth Vader trying to discover the name of the Force Sensitive Pilot that destroyed the Death Star (Spoilers: It was Luke) and also dodging the very “Sith-Like” training relationship between Vader and the Emperor (Hint: The Emperor keeps trying to kill Vader…because of Sith things). This series was brilliant and if read in before seeing Rogue One then I think the Vader scenes become even more enjoyable!
Who Needs To Read This?: If you have been waiting for the best depiction of Darth Vader in the history of the franchise (without fan boying/girling the story), and you love Star Wars then you NEED to read this.
Hexed
2. Hexed
Story: Michael Alan Nelson
Art: Emma Rios, Chris Peter
I didn’t know I was missing this in my life until I stumbled upon it at my friendly local neighborhood comic book shop. Hexed is published by BOOM! Studios and ran from 2008 to 2009 so the story is done but that also means you can pick up the graphic novels and devour them in a weekend. The story is a wicked tale of urban occult adventure with mystic artifacts, secret organizations, and a magical realm so brilliantly constructed that it will give you chills. Hexed is one of those great comics that combines a brilliant protagonist (Luci Jennifer Inagcio Das Neves or “Lucifer” for short) and a story that is equally kinetic and immersive that you’ll find it hard NOT to read it all in one sitting. Another very good Awesome Comics That You NEED to Read.
Who Needs To Read This?: If you loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Dresden Files then this comic was practically made for you.
This is the newest comic in our pull list, in fact, it’s only in issue two but it has us all hooked here at World of Geek Stuff! The story hits the ground running and changes tempo and direction and you’re never quite sure where it’s going until it gets there. Once it does though it pushes into the eye holes of the reader a story of life after death, fantasy, good vs evil, and action scenes that absolutely blow the reader’s mind. Something big is going to happen in this story and it’s going to be awesome! We cant’ tell you too much because every little bit is nuanced and pretty much tied to the plot (we think?). Needless to say, this is on our radar now and it should be on yours!
Who Needs to Read This?: You love strange fantasy settings and a vision of Heaven and Hell that will not only confuse you but thrill you to no end, then, you really NEED to READ THIS!
So, have you read any of these? What were your thoughts? What’s on YOUR “Pull List” Let us know in the comments with Awesome Comics That You NEED to Read!
Citizen of the Island of Misfit Toys, fantasy junky, dungeon master geek. David is an author of the Books of Horizon series with Sorcerer: A Tale of the Last City and Necromancer: A Tale of the Last city.
