Not all stories are best told with the written word. A bridge between novels and comic books, graphic novels tell some of the darkest, most imaginative stories out there today. You might’ve even seen some comic books come alive on the big screen, like Avengers, Captain Marvel, Batman and the likes. Comic books are certainly a type of timeless art with a story twist.
What Did These Comic Books Do To Qualify For This List
Any time you are ranking the best of something the results are usually somewhat subjective but we have did our best to come up with a list the readers of comic books will truly like. To come up with this list we took into account:
- quantity and quality of user reviews
- sales data
- public perception
- opinions of readers of this genres
- commercial success
- and of course personal opinion
Take a look at the best Comic Books you can read right now:
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Best Comic Books
Here are the best comic books by the experts:
1)Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Book Summary:One of Marvel’s most beloved Avengers launches into her own ongoing series! Carol Danvers has played many roles in her life; hero, pilot, Avenger, and now, deep-space adventurer! Join Captain Marvel as she attempts to return an alien girl to her home world, and defend the rights of aliens revolting against the Galactic Alliance. Guest-starring Guardians of the Galaxy! Undeniably one of the best comic books ever made!
- Book Reviews:Â
2)Civil War 2 by Brian Michael Bendis
Book Summary:When a new Inhuman named Ulysses emerges with uncanny precognitive powers, Earth’s protectors must wrestle with the dramatic consequences. And when one of Ulysses’ visions leads to tragedy, an old friendship reaches a breaking point over a devastating loss as longtime teammates Captain Marvel and Iron Man fi nd themselves at odds. What does it mean to be a hero? Is it right to act now on crimes yet to be committed? Do the ends justify the means? And how reliable is Ulysses’ gift? As Avengers, X-Men, Inhumans, Spider-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy and more stand divided between the two figureheads, the battle lines are drawn. And when one of the greatest among them falls, the Marvel Universe is once again set on a path to war – but will the fight for the future leave one worth saving?
- Book Reviews:Â
3)Batman Arkham Asylum 25th Anniversary by Grant Morrison
Book Summary:The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gotham’s detention center for the criminally insane on April Fool’s Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages. Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison. During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knight’s must face down both his most dangerous foes and his inner demons.This is the critically acclaimed Batman story that helped launch the U.S. careers of Grant Morrison and Dave McKean.
- Book Reviews:Â
4)Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe by Cullen Bunn
Book Summary:What if everything you thought was funny about Deadpool was actually just disturbing? What if he decided to kill everyone and everything that makes up the Marvel Universe? What if he actually pulled it off? Would that be FUN for you? The Merc with a Mouth takes a turn for the twisted in a horror comic like no other!
- Book Reviews:Â
5)Blackest Night by Geoff Johns
Book Summary:The prophecy of the Blackest Night has come to pass–a mysterious force is raising deceased heroes and villains into an army of undead Black Lanterns! The combined might of the Green Lantern Corps and an armada of living superbeings must now band together in a fight quite literally for their lives. The incredible graphic novel story from #1 New York Times bestselling writer Geoff Johns is collected here in Blackest Night!Throughout the decades, death has plagued the DC Universe and taken the lives of heroes and villains alike. But to what end? As the War between the different colored Lantern Corps rages on, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends and it’s up to Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps to lead DC’s greatest champions in a battle to save the Universe from an army of undead Black Lanterns made up of fallen Green Lanterns and DC’s deceased heroes and villains.The creative team of Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis (Superman) comes together here for one of the most action-packed, unforgettable sagas ever.
- Book Reviews:Â
6)Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader by Kieron Gillen
Book Summary:The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader’s first on-screen appearance, he has become one of pop-culture’s most popular villains. Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own solo adventures — showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! But when a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? As Vader pursues a very personal vengeance against the Rebels and investigates the Emperor’s secret machinations, he clashes with weapons scavenger Aphra and deadly Battle Droids, and returns to Geonosis to build an army. But some very powerful people don’t want him to learn the truths he seeks! Guest-starring Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and more!
- Book Reviews:Â
7)Deadpool Vol. 1 : Secret Invasion by Daniel Way
Book Summary:The Skrulls are here and everything’s gone topsy-turvy but, in Deadpool’s world, that just means it’s Monday! Like it or not, Deadpool may be the only person on the planet who can save us…but who’s to say he wants to?
- Book Reviews:Â
8)The Walking Dead Volume 31 by Robert Kirkman
Book Summary:Rick leads the Commonwealth’s Governor, Pamela Milton, on a tour of the various communities Alexandria is aligned with. Naturally… terrible things begin to happen very quickly.
- Book Reviews:Â
9)The Umbrella Academy Vol. 1 by Gerard Way
Book Summary:In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who’d previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, “To save the world.”These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.
- Book Reviews:Â
10)Avengers Vs. Thanos by Steve Englehart
Book Summary:See Thanos’s bid to become a god and lay siege to Earth, with only the Avengers able to stop him.
- Book Reviews:Â
Best Comic Book Movies
If you’re a huge fan and you want to see the best comic books come to life on the big screen, we have the best ones listed here for you!
1)Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame
Starring: Starring: Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Mark Ruffalo , et al.
Directed by: Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Movie Summary:The fourth installment in the Avengers saga is the culmination of 22 interconnected films and the climax of an epic journey. Earth’s heroes will finally understand how fragile our reality is–and the sacrifices that must be made to uphold it–in a story of friendship, teamwork and setting aside differences to overcome an impossible obstacle.
Movie Reviews:Â
These Marvel superheroes are relatable and flawed characters whom we’ve gotten to know over the course of the past eleven years. These movies also show why these characters are timeless and are among the best humanity has to offer. With incredible action sequences and heartwarming character beats, it provided a lot of emotional moments that resonated perfectly as a fan of all these movies. There’s plenty of jaw-dropping moments and big challenges for our heroes to overcome. It’s an immensely satisfying movie that invites you to just get on the roller-coaster and enjoy the ride that a comic book movie like this can be.
-Amazon Reviewer
For many decades we’ve seen various superheroes adapted from comic book to film… with varying degrees of success. Last years Infinity War might not hold a 90-something percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but I think most people would agree it was a masterpiece, in part because it felt like the biggest cinematic cliffhanger we’d seen in decades. Everything was great, the cast, the story, the villain, it was all about as close to perfection as you could get.
-Amazon Reviewer
2)Wonder Woman
Starring: Starring: Gal Gadot , Chris Pine , Robin Wright and Danny Huston
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Movie Summary:Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.
Movie Reviews:Â
Up to this point, I had watched all of the DCEU movies and have been entertained, but not particularly impressed. When I walked away from Batman V Superman, Wonder Woman was without a doubt the best part and I had hopes for her solo film. After Suicide Squad, my hopes were lessened, but still present. After seeing the film twice I can confidently say it is one of, if not the greatest super hero movies ever made.
-Amazon Reviewer
3)300
Starring: Gerard Butler , Lena Headey , David Wenham , et al.
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Movie Summary:‘300’ is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes.
Movie Reviews:Â
What’s not to love… It goes above and beyond the story the Herodotus told. I rewatched it because I’m listening to Dan Carlan’s Hardcore History pod casts and wanted to see how they came together. I have to say, I love historical stories from this part of history, but from a historian’s perspective if you do not have suspension of disbelief forget about it. Great cinematography from an actor and director’s stand point.
-Amazon Reviewer
4)Man of Steel
Starring: Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Michael Shannon and Kevin Costner
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Movie Summary:A young boy learns he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, when the world is threatened, he must emerge as a hero and the symbol of hope for all mankind.
Movie Reviews:Â
Man of Steel is an Exhilarating ride from beginning to end. The Action scenes are mind blowing and of course the film keeps a serious and emotional component throughout. The director Zack Snyder will always have haters to his movies , not EVERYONE will be able to connect to the emotional tone he sets for his movies. But the ones that appreciate his work understand the level of brilliance he has. He casts superman in a very unique light and in my opinion a much needed and interesting light never really seen before. The visuals are outstanding and with Zacks unique film style he’s able to create such atmosphere and depth strictly due to how he shoots the visuals. I know of a few friends personally who didn’t like the movie when they first saw it and had many complaints, but now LOVE the movie and realize how terrific it really is. I love this movie and it will always be in my collection forever.
-Amazon Reviewer
5)The Dark Knight
Starring: Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Heath Ledger and Emma Thomas
Directed by: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
Movie Summary:The Dark Knight reunites Christian Bale with director Christopher Nolan and takes Batman across the world in his quest to fight a growing criminal threat known as The Joker.
Movie Reviews:Â
Spectacular. Absolutely beautiful. Cinematically, this movie is one of the best ever made. Story wise – it both tells the story of a superhero and a crime-ridden city with corrupt people, a love triangle and a tragedy, the corruption of good (“you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”), but also the goodness of humanity that overrides even our desire for survival.
There’s nothing about this movie not to like. The returning and new actors are incredible – Heath Ledger as the Joker will make you crazy, but just enough so you can keep watching. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent will leave you wondering, and his character is developed just enough to make his arc perfect – to keep you wondering but not shocked.
-Amazon Reviewer
Best Comic Book Audio Books
1)Locke & Key by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, et al.
Book Summary:Audie Award Finalist, Original Work, 2016
Based on the best-selling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key – written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez – this multicast, fully dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life.
A brutal and tragic event drives the Locke family from their home in California to the relative safety of their ancestral estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts, an old house with powerful keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. As siblings Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke discover the secrets of the old house, they also find that it’s home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all….
Featuring performances by Haley Joel Osment (Entourage, The Sixth Sense), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek: Voyager), Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Stephen King (The Stand, 11-22-63), as well as a cast of more than 50 voice actors, this audio production preserves the heart-stopping impact of the graphic novel’s astounding artwork through the use of richly imagined sound design and a powerful original score.
Book Reviews:Â
-Amazon Reviewer
2)Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines, Jay Snyder, et al.
Book Summary:It’s been two years since the world ended. Two years since the dead rose and the plague of ex-humanity decimated mankind. For most of that time, the superhero called St. George, formerly known to the world as the Mighty Dragon, has protected the people of Los Angeles at their film-studio-turned-fortress, The Mount. Together with his fellow heroes – Cerberus, Zzzap, and Stealth – he’s tried to give the survivors hope and something like a real life. But the swollen population of The Mount is becoming harder and harder to sustain, and the heroes are feeling the pressure.
Hope arrives in the form of a United States Army battalion, based in a complex a few hundred miles away in Arizona. This is not just any base, however. The men and women of Project Krypton are super-soldiers, designed and created before the outbreak to be better, stronger, and faster than normal humans. They want the heroes and all the people of The Mount to rejoin America and have normal lives again.
But can the military be trusted? And is there even a country left to rejoin? There is a secret at the heart of Project Krypton, and those behind it have an awesome power that will help them keep that secret hidden. The power of Freedom.
Book Reviews:Â
I have to say that this has become one of my favorite series to date.
-Amazon Reviewer
I loved Ex-Heroes and I spent quite a bit of time searching bookstores for the physical copy of Ex-Patriots. Yet it always seemed to be the only one in the series not on the shelf. Thus I broke down and bought the Kindle version. I love this series so much, the cast of characters and pop culture references are immensely entertaining. They are all such a great amalgamation of superhero personalities, then this one adds Super Soldiers to the mix. While I wasn’t sure about Captain Freedom initially, by the end he fit in really well with the group. I did have a few problems with the villains while reading it, I would have preferred one villain that got most of the focus instead of the balancing act of conflicts in the finale. Yet upon contemplation they both worked better than I thought. So while narratively this one really piles on the pop culture references in a way that can make you feel like the characters do when dealing with Zzapp/Barry’s constant references, and it momentarily suffers from too many villains, this is still one of my favorite series I’ve read in a while.
-Amazon Reviewer
3)Batman: Inferno
by Alex Irvine
Book Summary:Gotham’s never been so scorching, the Joker’s never been more despicable, and Batman’ s never been in such grave danger.
With more than thirty fires raging out of control across the city, Gotham is indeed a hell on earth. But torching the population is small potatoes for the arsonist extraordinaire known as Enfer. The pyromaniac’s mad masterpiece is Arkham Asylum, blazing like a Roman candle and engineered to provide the perfect escape for Arkham’s most infamous inmate, the Joker. But the dire situation goes from bad to beyond monstrous when the archvillain’s path to freedom leads directly to the Dark Knight’s cave.
The Joker believes in striking while the iron is hot . . . and now it’s never been hotter. After all, the diabolical villain has devised the ultimate joke: launch the mother of all crime waves, masquerading as the Caped Crusader himself! With Gotham erupting in flames and its #1 crime fighter fast becoming its #1 enemy, the burning question is: Who’s going to get the last laugh?
Book Reviews:Â
Great read and plot.. writer has a talent for creating visuals and immersing you into the story.
-Amazon Reviewer
The acting was pretty awesome and Graphic Audio knows its stuff. I bought No Man’s Land after listening to this and already played through those as well! Actors are amazing and the story is what you should expect from a Batman story.
-Amazon Reviewer
4)Harley Quinn at Super Hero High: DC Super Hero Girls byLisa Yee
Book Summary:Harley Quinn investigates a high-tech carnival in this action-packed new DC Super Hero Girl novel!
Funny girl Harley Quinn loves fighting crime with her classmates like Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl, but she always does it her with own madcap style – and a big mallet! It’s no surprise that Harley can’t resist getting involved in a dance competition and organizing an outrageous battle of the bands. But when a high-tech carnival comes to town, Harley knows that things aren’t what they seem and that only she can get to the bottom of the mystery – and deliver a great punch line while doing it!
Book Reviews:Â
Granddaughter is into female super hero’s. She loved it.
-Amazon Reviewer
My 9 year old loves the series and can’t wait for more!!
-Amazon Reviewer
5)Spider-Man 2 by Peter David, Matt Walton, et al.
Book Summary:The amazing adventures of one of the greatest superheroes of all time
continue in Spider-Man 2.
Two years have passed, and Peter Parker struggles to cope with the demands of life as a college student, a Daily Bugle photographer, and a crime-fighting superhero. But it hasn’t gotten any easier. Condemned by the press, tormented by secrets he can never reveal, forced to give up the girl of his dreams—at times the lonely burden of Spider-Man seems almost too great to bear . . . and the temptation to give up grows stronger by the hour.
Enter the archfiend Doc Ock, armed with a lethal invention powerful enough to destroy half the city. If Spider-Man tries to stop Doc Ock, he’ll be placing the lives of those closest to him in mortal danger. If he doesn’t, it could be the end of the Big Apple. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, high about Manhattan’s glittering skyline, Spider-Man confronts his destiny, his fiercest enemy, and himself.
Book Reviews:Â
It was a great book. I love Spider-Man stories. I liked reading the parts that weren’t in the movie. I liked reading this book.
-Amazon Reviewer
I loved this book, it was a very pleasant read. Very well written and very entertaining with great characterization. It stayed true to the movie (didn’t change the dialogue or scenes that were in the movie) and added a few scenes missing from the movie that added instead of detracted. Great companion to the movie. If only other movie books were as excellently done.
-Amazon Reviewer
Conclusion
What do you think about our list of best comic books? If you have another genre that you prefer to read we have probably compiled a list of our favorites for that genre too. So if you are looking for something other than the best comic books you can find other genres here.
