Best Binge Worthy Series
With all this time on our hands as we sit around, waiting for the world to go back to normal, I put together a list of series that are perfect binge reading material. While they're are tons of other great series that could be put on this list, these are just 10 that I highly recommend. They're are a few others I would have out on here, but sadly they're out of print.
I hope you guys enjoy, give these books a shot you won't regret it!
TRANSMETROPOLITAN
One of the best series to come out of Vertigo, was this brilliant series from Warren Ellis and Darrick Robertson. Starring the drug taking, Hunter S. Thompson inspired, hard hitting journalist of the future, Spider Jerusalem. I mean with a name like that, how could you not wanna read this book. Having sequestered himself away years ago, he gets called back to the city and from there the madness ensues.
The future is unlike anything you could possibly imagine, only the twisted mind of Ellis could come up with it. Not to mention the brilliant design of Spider that will stick in your memories forever. Spider dedicates himself to fighting the corruption and abuse of power of two successive US presidents. With the help of his "filthy assistants", they try to keep their world from becoming mor dystopian than it already is, while dealing with the fame and power that comes from Spider's popularity from his writing. This is one series that you'll wanna read over and over again.
SAGA
There should be no question why this book is on this list. SAGA has been universally praised for almost 10 years. Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples have made us fall in love with the characters, world, and concept since the 1st issue hit the stands. The story follows Marko and Alana, a husband and wife, from long-warring alien races, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war. They struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel, who was born in the beginning of the series and who occasionally narrates the series as an unseen adult.
Along the way we meet so many unforgettable characters and even lose a few also. Vaughan has said that the story is influenced by Star Wars and also on his own personal ideas that came both as a child and as a parent. While the series has reached the halfway mark, it's currently on hiatus, this is a great time to re-read or read for the first time. You won't be able to put it down
CRIMINAL
This is without a doubt one of my favorite comics of all time. While I was a fan of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips before this series, they catapulted themselves to become my favorite creative team in comics. Their creative partnership is nearing almost 20 years and they show know signs of stopping. This series originally started in 2006 and has come out sporadically during that time, since they work on other projects in between. No matter how long it is though, CRIMINAL is always the best book out at the time it's being published.
While the volumes don't run linearly, they are interconnected and oftentimes you'll see characters cross over in different arcs. Brubaker often depicts the usual clichés in the crime genre while also staying firmly grounded in realism. The characters that inhabit this world are both tragic and exciting to read about. While I love all of the work Brubaker and Phillips have done, this is always my first recommendation when people ask what my favorite series is. This is another series you won't wanna stop once you start. And when you finish you can continue on with FATALE, KILL OR BE KILLED, THE FADE OUT, & INCOGNITO.
HELLBOY
This was one of the first series, not by DC or Marvel, that really captivated me. Hellboy, a half-demon, was summoned to Earth as a young baby by Nazi occultists, he was saved by Allied forces and taken under Professor Bruttenholm, who formed the BPRD. As Hellboy grew older he joined the BPRD and fought back the forces of evil. The brainchild of one of the greatest creators in the history of the medium, Mike Mignola, has gone on many adventures over his 26 years.
Mignola uses folktale and myths and interweaves them into one of the grandest epics you'll ever read. Hellboy travels all over the world, fighting every manor of creature and horror you can imagine. He even learns that he is a descendant to the throne of England. His adventures even bring him to the depths of Hell after he dies saving the world.
The Mignolaverse, as many diehard fans call it, has gone on to spawn numerous spin offs all of which help to enhance the overall world building. With the new collected volumes in omnibus form, now is the easiest time to binge this entire longform story. I'm actually doing a re-read as we speak.
GOTHAM CENTRAL
This series has long been said to be, ahead of its time. Gotham Central is a police procedural comic-book series, written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with pencils initially by Michael Lark. The story focused on the Gotham City Police Department and the difficulties those officers endure living and working in a city, inhabited by Batman.
Rucka would write the GCPD's day shift storylines, Brubaker would take the night shift, and Lark would pencil them both. The main characters of the book would probably be Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. But it also started Josie Mac" MacDonald. Their superiors, Commissioner Michael Akins and Captain Margaret "Maggie" Sawyer, also Jim Corrigan, a corrupt CSI, played a more integral part at the end of the series.
This book is still, to me, of the best books that DC has ever published. I only wish it would have gone on longer, but the creators went on to work on other projects. But don't worry, there are 4 volumes that you can sit down and binge today. This is one DC book that anyone could pick up and enjoy.
LAZARUS
This dystopian, science fiction series created by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark is one of the best books being published today. Set in the not too distant future, the world has been divided among sixteen rival families, who run their territories in a feudal system. People are classified based on their station in life, from waste, serf, and then family. The main character is Forever Carlyle, the military leader of the Carlyle family or "Lazarus" Each family has their own Lazarus that is deemed one of the most important members of the "family".
The major themes of Lazarus are the meaning of "family" and nature versus nurture. The worldbuilding is probably one of the best I've ever seen in a comic. Rucka has created a world full of intrigue, drama and action. Its political themes, are eerily similar and have at times been compared to that of Trumps presidency.
With 6 volumes, and a trade collecting the X+66 mini-series, this is a great series to sit down and binge. Trust me after you get through volume 1 you won't wanna stop.
THOR by Jason Aaron
What can I say about Aaron’s Thor run that I haven't already said? For over 7 years, he chronicled the adventures of our beloved Odinson. What Jason Aaron did,, for over 100 issues, is arguably one of the greatest tales we will ever read. The story of a God who at times was unsure of himself, at times "unworthy", but in the end always triumphed and strived to be better than he was the day before.
Aaron's Thor at its core was always full of hope and inspiration. He made the God of Thunder relatable and "human". While I had liked Thor before Aaron took over, it was he who made Thor one of my favorite heroes. But it wasn’t just Thor that he embedded into my heart, it was also Jane Foster. While that could have come of as a cheap stunt, when she took on the mantle of Thor, it was anything but. She wielded the mighty Mjolnir with strength and conviction, becoming one of my favorite characters in the process. Which made her transition into Valkyrie, as Thor came back feel like such a natural progression for her character.
No matter who wielded the hammer, during this massive epic, the adventures were full of heart and humor. As Aaron wrapped up his tenure with WAR OF THE REALMS & KING THOR, we were given one last battle for the ages followed by arguably one of the best series finales ever written. If there’s one Marvel run I would recommend to ANY comic book fan, it’s this one. PLus now that it’s over, there's no better time to binge this series.
BLACK HAMMER
This series, or Hammerverse as it’s called, is the brainchild of Jeff Lemire. It has always been considered a comment on the history of superhero comics while also homaging well known characters with Lemire’s signature twist. The main series takes place 10 years after Black Hammer and six other superheroes had saved Spiral City from the Anti-God, but in the process became trapped on a farm, in a timeless Twilight Zone-ish town. Shortly after they arrive, Black Hammer dies. In the present, the six heroes live on Black Hammer farm with very little hope of ever escaping.
Over the course of the 4 volumes, we are introduced to a group of heroes unlike any other. They are flawed and humanized in ways you don't see in comics from the “Big Two”. You never know what to expect and this world is highly addictive. I remember when I first read Vol.1, I was only half way through before I was already ordering the next Vol. Dean Ormston, the artist for the main series, isn’t your typical superhero artist which makes this book stand apart from other superhero books, in all the best ways.
While you could just stick with the main series (4 volumes), I highly recommend the spin-off series (Sherlock Frankenstein, Doctor Andromeda, The Quantum Age, Black Hammer ’45, Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy) to really enhance the reading experience. Each series is amazing n it’s own right.
Once you enter the Hammerverse you won’t wanna leave.
NAILBITER
This series by Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson, is by far one of the best series to come out from Image in the past 10 years. If you love movies like Se7en or shows like Twin Peaks, then this book will be right up your alley.
The series centers around the fictional town of Buckaroo, Oregon, which has produced sixteen of the United States' worst serial killers, throughout its history. Its most recent creation is Edward Charles Warren, otherwise known as "Nailbiter" due to his fondness for chewing off his victim's nails and part of their flesh. At the series's start Warren has been caught by FBI agent Charles Carroll, however Carroll has since gone missing, leaving it up to his friend and NSA agent Nicholas Finch to search for him. What he doesn't know is that once he goes down the rabbit hole of mystery in this town, he may not like what he finds.
This series is what made me a fan of Williamson, he’s since gone on to write other books like BIRTHRIGHT (which is pretty fucking good also) and one of the best runs on THE FLASH ever written. With NAILBITER coming back for a second series, now is the perfect time to read these 6 volumes and dive into the mystery that is Buckaroo.
LOVE & ROCKETS (LOCAS)
Love and Rockets is a comic book series by the Hernandez brothers: Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario. It was one of the first comic books in the alternative comics movement of the 1980s. The Hernandez brothers produced stories in the series independently of each other.
Since I have only read Jaime’s stories, I’m only gonna talk about those.
His Locas narrative follows the tangled lives of a group of primarily Latina characters, from their teenage years in the early days of the California punk scene to the present day. The two central characters are Margarita Luisa "Maggie" Chascarrillo and Esperanza Leticia "Hopey" Glass, whose tumultuous romance is a focus for many Locas storylines.
Early on, the stories switched back and forth between Maggie's sci-fi adventures working as a "prosolar" mechanic repairing rocketships, and much more realistic stories of Maggie and her friends in a grungy, mostly Latin California neighborhood known as "Hoppers". Eventually Jaime dropped almost all of the sci-fi elements, although he does still occasionally include references to the earlier stories and he still does very occasional short stories about superheroines, robots and other sci-fi genre elements.
One thing is always consistent though, once you pick up a volume, you can't put it down. Maggie, Hopey and the rest of the sprawling cast, will find a place not only in your mind but your heart as well. They feel like real people and once you enter their world, you’ll find yourself not wanting to leave.
Like I said, I’ve only read Jaime's stories but I’ve heard great things about Gilbert’s as well. I recommend reading each of their stories individually. Even though the trades alternate (i.e. Jaime’s are 1,3, etc.). This series is well revered by many creators and considered one of the greatest series of all time. Don’t be like me and wait forever to pick this up. Go check it out RIGHT NOW!
So, that's my list of binge worthy series. If there are any books you think should be on this list, comment down below. Happy reading everyone!!!
ALL OF THESES CAN BE FOUND AT YOUR LCS. TO FIND ONE CLICK THE LINK BELOW