Perhaps it is because of my upbringing (I was born in China and came to Colorado when I was 9), but I have never taken comic books seriously.  In fact, I’ve only gotten into the medium in recent months, thanks to my best friend.  Of course, once I dove into the stories, the flood gates opened.

Granted, I don’t prefer the typical superhero stories (I won’t name titles, but it’s not difficult to conjure up some assumptions), but you can find a plethora of astonishing, serialized stories by some very talented writers.  Sadly, comic book writers do not belong to the WGA, but as I’ve come to find out, writing and pitching for the medium is just as difficult as any other forms of writing.  It’s an entirely new style and one that requires a more unique form of visualization.  But at the end of the day, if you have a good story, it will pop.  Whether out of a page in a comic book or the television screen is up to you.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Y the Last Man

An amazing post-apocalyptic story involving the extinction of the Y chromosome.  That’s right, goodbye male leads…well,  save for one last man, Yorick Brown.  The story revolves around the survivors of this incident and their quest in finding the origin of this event.  Well-written, intriguing and as you can imagine, full of strong female characters.  Definitely one-of-a-kind.  Fans of “Lost” may recognize the creator of the series, Brian K. Vaughan.  Talented much?

Ex Machina

Apparently not enough, because his name comes up a lot in the comic book industry.  “Ex Machina” is another series by Vaughan that is a political/superhero hybrid.  The series is a standout in two ways: the relevant topics and the unique art style.  Since the story is set in a very modern world not so different from our own, each issue raises all the intriguing questions one might not be able to find in other platforms.  One of the best aspects about the comic book industry is the leniency in its censorship, so brand new stories can be told with free-reign.  Of course, this is different if you’re writing for one of the major series like “Thor,” but you get the idea.

Vaughan has a few more series that I also recommend, but then the list would be a bit repetitive.

Rising Stars

Fans of “Babylon 5” can recognize J. Michael Straczynski’s name anywhere.  One discernible element in his storytelling is always the scope of his vision, and “Rising Stars” is no different.  While the premise–a comet crashes onto Earth thus creating humans with abilities–is not all that original, the way in which he enriches the world issue by issue makes the series something of a masterpiece.  The writing is poignant, metaphysical and thought-provoking.

I cannot compliment the series enough.  If you’re at all a comic book fan, “Rising Stars” is a must.

I Kill Giants

Created by Joe Kelly, “I Kill Giants” is a series that remains one of the most memorable pieces I’ve ever read.  The miniseries is a comic book equivalent of an indie film.  The story revolves around Barbara Thorson, a troubled misfit who goes to 5th grade.  In order to cope with personal problems, she lives in her own world of fantasy and heroism.  The story reminds me of “Where the Wild Things Are” in that it’s a very fantastical coming-of-age story that is both hopeful yet heart wrenching.  In addition, the artwork in the series is astounding.

That’s all I can think of for now.  Still, you can see a link between the television and comic book industry.  For writers looking to explore the long form of storytelling, comic book series such as those mentioned above is a good way to widen your horizon and your imagination.

What are some of your favorites?

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