Go, Read: Steven Grant On The Twenty Most Significant Comic Books Published

The writer and columnist Steven Grant names what he thinks are the 20 most significant comics published.

I'd quibble with about four or five of his choices. I love Howard Chaykin, but in my opinion American Flagg! simply isn't as significant as RAW Vol. 1 given how the field developed over the next 25-plus years. It may not be the most important title in that category for the reason he claims. I'd suggest Sin City coming into being at Dark Horse was more significant in terms of a mainstream within the mainstream, and I think that you could argue that would have happened if American Flagg! never existed. I think you have to choose something in manga that represents the format that has come to dominate that category because it's that format that was the real industry-changer. Choosing Maus opens up a can of worms where you have to consider things like Garfield at Large. Don't laugh! I would suggest that Garfield at Large is more important in its field than a half-dozen of the comics Grant chooses are in theirs, by a wide margin. Its success fundamentally altered the strip business. I also don't think American Splendor is as important as even something like Cerebus -- take AS out of comics history and I can't see anything changing beyond the fact that we don't have a lot of really good comics by Harvey Pekar and his collaborators. Take Cerebus out and I think the entire field looks different. Heck, take ACME Novelty Library #1 out, and the entire field certainly looks different.

Please don't let my quibbles alter your perception of the original article's value: it's a solid list, fun to read, and Grant is always worth your time.
 
posted 8:10 am PST | Permalink
 

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