Best of
Graphic-Novels

1993

The Batman Adventures: Mad Love


Paul Dini - 1993
    Then along came the animated Batman series. The visual style was totally unique: clean, sharp, and bold. Batman Adventures: Mad Love is an original comics story drawn in the style of the popular animated series. It's even put together by Paul Dini, a major force behind the animated show. This particular story involves Batman's old foe, the Joker, and Joker's cute but deadly sidekick, Harley Quinn. Actor Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame, who plays the voice of the Joker in the animated series, claims that this is one of his all-time favorite comics, calling it "bold, lusty, gleefully demented."

Marvels


Kurt Busiek - 1993
    Here, burning figures roam the streets, men in brightly colored costumes scale the glass and concrete walls, and creatures from space threaten to devour our world. This is the Marvel Universe, where the ordinary and fantastic interact daily. This is the world of Marvels.Witness the birth of this fantastic universe from the inside. See the world's greatest heroes in a different light, with a new awe and a touch of fear.For the first time, experience the Marvel Universe from a whole new perspective — yours. Collects Marvels #1-4 and Marvels #0.

The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 3: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn


Hergé - 1993
    These full-color graphic novels broke new ground when they were first released and became the inspiration for countless modern-day comic artists.This repackaged hardcover volume contains 3 classic Tintin stories, including: The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Shooting Star, and The Secret of The Unicorn.

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear


Frank Miller - 1993
    He was raised by a single father, an over-the-hill prizefighter with one last chance to make it good - a chance that cost him his life! Taunted and tormented by children while growing up, Matt's life was irrevocably altered after he was blinded by radioactive materials while saving the life of an old man. The payoff? An unbreakable will and a keen intelligence, helping focus the super-senses he was blessed with during the accident. His story is one of love, pain, disappointment, and strength. Witness the tour-de-force origin of the Man Without Fear by industry legends Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.Collects Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5.

The Doom Patrol Omnibus


Grant MorrisonKim DeMulder - 1993
    The Chief leads Robotman, the recently formed Rebis and new member Crazy Jane against the Scissormen, part of a dangerous philosophical location that has escaped into our world and is threatening to engulf reality itself. Collecting Grant Morrison's definitive run, which launched his career as one of the comic industry's most innovative and creative writers! Collects Doom Patrol #19-63 and Doom Force Special #1.

The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre


Hergé - 1993
    These full-color graphic novels broke new ground when they were first released and became the inspiration for countless modern-day comic artists.This repackaged hardcover volume contains 3 classic Tintin stories, including: Tintin and the Broken Ear, The Black Island, and King Ottokar's Sceptre.

Death: The High Cost of Living


Neil Gaiman - 1993
    One day in every century, Death walks the Earth to better understand those to whom she will be the final visitor. Today is that day. As a young mortal girl named Didi, Death befriends a teenager and helps a 250-year old homeless woman find her missing heart. What follows is a sincere musing on love, life and (of course) death.

It Was the War of the Trenches


Jacques Tardi - 1993
    (His very first—rejected—comics story dealt with the subject, as does his most recent work, the two-volume Putain de Guerre.) But It Was the War of the Trenches is Tardi’s defining, masterful statement on the subject, a graphic novel that can stand shoulder to shoulder with Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.Tardi is not interested in the national politics, the strategies, or the battles. Like Remarque, he focuses on the day to day of the grunts in the trenches, and, with icy, controlled fury and disgust, with sardonic yet deeply sympathetic narration, he brings that existence alive as no one has before or since. Yet he also delves deeply into the underlying causes of the war, the madness, the cynical political exploitation of patriotism. And in a final, heartbreaking coda, Tardi grimly itemizes the ghastly human cost of the war, and lays out the future 20th century conflicts, all of which seem to spring from this global burst of insanity.Trenches features some of Tardi’s most stunning artwork. Rendered in an inhabitually lush illustrative style, inspired both by abundant photographic documentation and classic American war comics, augmented by a sophisticated, gorgeous use of Craftint tones, trenches is somehow simultaneously atypical and a perfect encapsulation of Tardi’s mature style. It is the indisputable centerpiece of Tardi’s oeuvre.It Was the War of the Trenches has been an object of fascination for North American publishers: RAW published a chapter in the early 1980s, and Drawn and Quarterly magazine serialized a few more in the 1990s. But only a small fraction of Trenches has ever been made available to the English speaking public (in now out of print publications); the Fantagraphics edition, the third in an ongoing collection of the works of this great master, finally remedies this situation.

A Death Gallery


Neil GaimanBrandon Peterson - 1993
    Also see Endless Gallery and Sandman Gallery.

The Acme Novelty Library #1


Chris Ware - 1993
    In the main 24 page color story we see scenes from his life -- as a young boy, as a young man, as middle-aged man, and as on old man. The time line skips back and forth, and it's left up to the reader to piece together a history from these glimpses into Jimmy's life.An eight page inlay printed on news-print in black and white and a blue-grayish color has a six page nonsensical strip about Jimmy as a (for once) smart child. He builds rocket ships, shrinks himself, has an adventure and grows up. The ending of the strip is detailed on a full page of typeset text.Also included is a one page Big Tex strip, a one page funny story about Jimmy fixing a new dad, one page of fake ads, and "A Splendid Toy Model" of Jimmy in his robot man persona on the back cover.

Slaine: The Horned God


Pat Mills - 1993
    

Beyond Palomar


Gilbert Hernández - 1993
    But eventually this became too restrictive for the kinds of stories he wanted to tell, and he created, in quick succession, two major standalone graphic novels. Beyond Palomar collects these two groundbreaking works, together for the first time."Poison River" is a dizzying period piece often hailed as one of Hernandez's masterpieces. It traces the pre-Palomar childhood of Luba, her teenage marriage to gangster Peter Rio, the secrets behind her mysterious mother, all the way up to her subsequent escape and arrival in Palomar. This story introduces a number of characters and themes that occupied later issues of Love and Rockets (including Luba's mother Maria and her sinister guardian angel Gorgo), and is a riveting page-turner besides, with lots of sex, drugs, guns, politics, and women who can crack walnuts with their stomachs."Love and Rockets X," set in the early 1990s (in the waning years of Bush I's post-Reagan hangover, with Gulf War I in the background), takes us from plush Beverly Hills to the dangerous east side and introduces us to a dizzyingly diverse cast of characters, including a lowlife rock 'n' roll band, a "posse" of black youths, a ditzy Hollywood mom and her spoiled son, a gay activist filmmaker and his rebellious, half-Iraqi daughter, and a group of racist thugs whose violent attack on an older woman sets the plot in motion—as well as bringing in several older characters, including a couple of Palomar expatriates.Beyond Palomar is a wildly original diptych of graphic novels by one of the great cartooning talents of the last quarter century.

Tank Girl Collection


Alan C. Martin - 1993
    Their tank has been lost in a wager and the Australian Mafia are after their pelts. Their only hope seems to lie on the other side of the country, with Booga's estranged little brother.

Palestine, Vol. 1: A Nation Occupied


Joe Sacco - 1993
    He has produced a fascinating you-are-there-with-me comics account as impressive for its idiosyncratic personal tone as for its scrupulous documentation of human-rights abuses and lively accounts of ordinary Palestinians (in East Jerusalem, the West Bank towns and the decrepit refugee camps). In this volume (the sequal will focus on the Gaza Strip and more recent events), he details his encounters, discussions and interviews with a wide range of West Bank personalities: Arab shopkeepers, refugees from 1948, rock-throwing Palestinian teenagers, teachers, intellectuals, former prisoners, Israeli soldiers, members of the peace movement, American Jews and some terrorists as well. Like other rights investigators, he documents some of the better known abuses-arbitrary beatings by the IDF, administrative detention (arrest without charges), house demolitions and appalling prison conditions-especially at the notorious Ansar III prison. His final section is a wry but typically informative section on the position of Palestinian women in a society in which wife battering is ``part of Arab culture.'' His drawings are simply wonderful, combining great facility and compositional invention with a fluid line and a gift for the economical use of intensive linear detail. There is nothing else quite like this in alternative comics.Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat


Doug MoenchJo Duffy - 1993
    With his city under siege, Batman pushes his body to the limit as he takes on The Joker, the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, The Riddler and the Scarecrow. But things get much worse when Bane, the man behind all the madness, confronts an exhausted Batman...

Madman Vol. 1: The Oddity Odyssey


Mike Allred - 1993
    Armed with a yo-yo and a slightly left-of-center attitude, Frank Einstein is Snap City's most impressive masked crime fighter. In fact, he's kind of the only one! In this wacky debut, meet the whole eccentric cast of characters from the goofy genius, Dr. Flem to the despicably evil Mr. Mondstadt. And, of course, don't forget Joe, the love of Frank Einstein's life. This fearless beauty is the only one who sees past Madman's hideously disfigured face to the person within, and wants to know the true story of how Frank Einstein became Madman! Long out-of-print, MADMAN: THE ODDITY ODYSSEY is a seminal work of graphic literature, bridging the gaps of mainstream superhero mythos and the no-holds-barred world of independent, creator-driven comics. Oni Press is proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this amazing comic book by returning it to its original glory.

The Books of Magic


Neil Gaiman - 1993
    John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult, and Mister E take Hunter on a tour of the magical realms. Along the way he's introduced to Vertigo's greatest practitioners of magic and must choose whether or not to join their ranks.

The Upturned Stone


Scott Hampton - 1993
    

The Spectre: Crimes and Punishments


John Ostrander - 1993
    Retold and redefined in this volume is the origin of the Spectre, the most powerful being in the universe. As the Wrath of God bonded on a human soul, the Spectre roams the Earth in order to confront evil and avenge the unavenged dead as a form of penance. Paying for his earthly sins, the Spectre must not only oppose evil but also understand why men commit it. Once this metaphysical journey is completed, his mortal soul will be freed and another will be called upon on this holy mission of redemption.

Graffiti Kitchen


Eddie Campbell - 1993
    Another installment in the acclaimed autobiographical fictions of Eddie Campbell.

The Book of Jim


Jim Woodring - 1993
    Part quasi-autobiography, part dream diary, part strange descriptions of "Jimland Novelties," this book is a "brilliant pastiche of crazed emotions, wonderfully textured with lush, attentive artwork [and] oddly haunting," says Hugh Bonar in a Comics Journal review. There is nothing like Jim Woodring. Period.

The Catastrophe


Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira (Leo) - 1993
    Telling the story of humanity's first attempts to colonise distant planets, this is the tale of Kim and his companions and the strange creatures and perilous dangers they face in the unknown worlds.

A Hero's Welcome


Dwayne McDuffie - 1993
    This is the title that introduced Augustus Freeman, a successful lawyer who covertly uses his alien super-powers to help those in need. But when a teenaged girl from the streets convinces him to use his abilities to inspire his people and becomes his sidekick, Rocket, the affluent Augustus embraces his true destiny and becomes Icon, the hero of Dakota.

Russell: Pt. 2: The Saga of a Peaceful Man


Pete Loveday - 1993
    

Superman In Action Comics: Featuring The Complete Covers Of The First 25 Years (Tiny Folio)


Mark Waid - 1993
    Superman burst on the American public in 1938, in the first issue of Action Comics, laying the foundation for all the Superman stories to come.

I Am Legend Book No. 4


Steve Niles - 1993
    Richard Matheson's classic novel of fear and vampirism - the tale of the last human on an Earth overrun by the undead - returns to graphic novel format in a single volume collection of four long out-of-print books.

Sir Charles Barkley and the Referee Murders


Alan Dean Foster - 1993
    

Xanadu: Thief of hearts


Vicky Wyman - 1993
    High fantasy meets anthropomorphics in a classic book featuring court intrigues, the love between a thief and a courtier, and darkest treachery.

Stanley and His Monster


Phil Foglio - 1993
    

Tullus and the Monsters of the Deep


Tullus - 1993
    During a dangerous sea voyage, the ship's crew tries to throw Tullus, a young Roman Christian, overboard to appease the gods.

Lève ta jambe, mon poisson est mort! (Lift Your Leg, My Fish is Dead!)


Julie Doucet - 1993
    You'll find it all in here: fatal kisses, early misadventures with tampons, ecstatic lovemaking with giant beer bottles, and a host of other strange and unconventional themes from the unfettered imagination of Ms. Doucet.

Tullus and the Dark City


Anonymous - 1993
    The second collected edition of Tullus, 1st-century Christian stories.

2000 A.D. Yearbook 1994


John WagnerCarlos Ezquerra - 1993
    & Quinch: DR & Quinch Get Back to Nature- Rogue Trooper: Give War a Chance

Supernatural Law Tales from the Vault: Anniversary Special


Batton Lash - 1993
    One of the rarities included is a Wolff & Byrd story drawn by Batton and inked by Steve Ditko that appeared in Topps Comics' "Satan's Six."

Down and Out Dawg Treasury Bonanza


James Sturm - 1993
    

Hugo Tate


Nick Abadzis - 1993
    Collected in its entirety for the first time, this graphic novel brings together every page of the story and includes over 60 pages of never-before reprinted work. Also included is the critically-acclaimed final story arc O, America!, in which Hugo finds himself on a drug-fuelled road trip across the nightmarish underbelly of the United States. Featuring a gallery of rare extras, all-new commentary from Abadzis and Deadline editor Frank Wynne, as well as a special introduction by Garth Ennis (Preacher, Hellblazer), there's never been a better time to read - or revisit - this genuine classic of British comics.

Stinz: Warhorse


Donna Barr - 1993
    Home again in the Geisel valley, Stinz Lowhard must readjust to civilian life and come to grips with his time at war in this volume reprinting three tales of Donna Barr's half horse hero.

Vampirella A Scarlet Thirst


Bill DuBay - 1993
    Vampire of the NileJosé Ortiz, art - Flaxman Loew, story(from Warren Vampirella #36)The Case of the Connected Clowns and the CollectorJosé Gonzalez, art - Bill DuBay, story(from Warren Vampirella #71)The Beauty and the BehemothJosé Gonzalez, art - Bill DuBay, story(from Warren Vampirella #72)The God of BloodJosé Gonzalez, art - Flaxman Loew, story(from Warren Vampirella #30)The Betrothed of the Sun-GodJosé Gonzalez, art - Flaxman Loew, story(from Warren Vampirella #31)Bracelets, Demons and DeathRudy Nebres, art - Rich Margopoulos, story(from Warren Vampirella #92)Death MachineRudy Nebres, art - Rich Margopoulos, story(from Warren Vampirella #94)A Plague of VampiresRudy Nebres, art - Rich Margopoulos, story(from Warren Vampirella #95)The Hound of HellRudy Nebres, art - Rich Margopoulos, story(from Warren Vampirella #96)A Feast of FearJosé Gonzalez, art - Rich Margopoulos, story(from Warren Vampirella #110)