Great Science Fiction Comics

[Nate C.]

I'm getting a little burned out with my current graphic fare, and since my brain has been mush lately due to Nursing School (Mannitol and Diprovan, anybody?) I've decided to take a new tack.

I love science fiction and I love comic books. Help point me to some great runs of books/storylines (and help me locate some affordable editions while you're at it, otherwise I'll just hit the 'bay). Here's some I'm thinking about- Magnus-Robot Fighter, The Warlord (DC), Judge Dredd (why can't we get the complete case files in this country!!!), a few others that I've already forgotten. Don't reccomend the FF, because I'm already working on that.

You guys got any suggestions? Tell me what to read, why, and where I can find it, please, por favor.

[Buzz Dixon]

Well, ya gotta read the classic EC sci-fi comics: WEIRD SCIENCE, WEIRD FANTASY, WEIRD SCIENCE FANTASY (the merged titles), and INCREDIBLE SCIENCE FICTION.

HEAVY METAL should be on your list, particularly the first decade worth of issues.

There are various FLASH GORDON and BUCK ROGERS re-prints out there; I recommend them all.

Marvel had a black and white sci-fi anthology called UNKNOWN WORLDS (IIRC) as well as their HEAVY METAL knock-off, EPIC.

There are some underground/alternate comics you might find interesting: SLOW DEATH (particularly the earliest issues), ANDROMEDA, and Howard Chaykin's CODY STARBUCK, AMERICAN FLAGG! and his adaptation of Alfred Bester's THE STARS MY DESTINATION.

Along the lines of FF, try CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN, DOOM PATROL (both original and new weird version), and RICK HUNTER -- TIME MASTER.

Oh, and any BARRY WEEM collection. It's like X-Flies Meets Southpark.

[prince hal]

Any of the Adam Strange collections, if you can afford them.

Many of the early Green Lantern, Flash and Atom titles, too.

[Mike Kuypers]

Marvel had a black and white sci-fi anthology called UNKNOWN WORLDS (IIRC) as well as their HEAVY METAL knock-off, EPIC.

Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction (http://www.comics.org/covers.lasso?SeriesID=2271), actually.

DC put out seven issues of Science Fiction Graphic Novel (http://www.comics.org/covers.lasso?SeriesID=2992) in the mid-'80s.

[Blake K]

DC's Atari Force... the Garcia-Lopez art alone is worth the price of admission.

Negation from Crossgen... note the extremely uncanny similarities between this series and the tv show Lost, and Negation came out long before the show. I would have sued.

Jim Starlin's Dreadstar and John Ostrander/Tim Truman's Grimjack.

Alien Legion from Marvel's Epic imprint.

[Hintermann]

I grew up with Gold Key's The Twilight Zone & Boris Karloff, Tales of Mystery in the 60s & early 70s. They are what you might call contemporary SF. I also liked Magnus, Robot Fighter and Dr Solar, Man of the Atom. For something more unsual, there was Turok, Son of Stone.

[benday-dot]

Along the lines of FF, try CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN, DOOM PATROL (both original and new weird version), and RICK HUNTER -- TIME MASTER.


Do you mean Rip Hunter-- Time Master.

[Mike Kuypers]

Do you mean Rip Hunter-- Time Master.

It used to be Rip Hunter. Then somebody stepped on a butterfly and... ;)

[dan bailey]

Nexus, of course. Not to mention 4-odd decades of various incarnations of The Legion of Super-Heroes.

[Chris Nowlin]

Depends what you like, but I can't recommend highly enough Alan Moore's Complete Ballad of Halo Jones.

And his Swamp Thing goes from superhero to horror to romance to sci/fi

[shaxper]

I second Dell's Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 AD for classic future Utopian fare. I also strongly recommend Dell's Mighty Samson and Jack Kirby's Kamandi for great Post-Apocalyptic fare.

[Aaron King]

Warren Ellis has done a variety of modern science fiction comics that run from decent to awesome: Ultimate Fantastic Four (collected in trades volume 2 and 3, with Stuart Immonen and one of the younger Kuberts); Orbiter (with Colleen Doran); Lazarus Churchyard (with D'Israeli).

Speaking of Ms. Doran, she's been publishing A Distant Soil for quite awhile now. It's kind of a space saga.

Grant Morrison's The Filth (with Christ Weston) is great social sci-fi that reminds of the '60s "speculative fiction" movement (Harlan Ellison, Tom Spurgeon, Phillip K. Dick, etc.).

I'd like to add my support to Nexus, Legion of Super-Heroes, and the Kirby sci-fi from Kamandi to Fourth World.

[Sir Tim Drake]

Planetes, by Makoto Yukimura, is an incredibly good manga that has elements of both romance and hard SF.

[swinebread]

I was a big fan of Eclipse Comics back in the day so I’m gonna’ recommend some favorites of mine.

New York: Year Zero, this forgotten 4 issue mini has fantastic art, a great story, and cool cyber punk environments. The only thing that sucks about it is the covers. Maybe that’s why no one read it.

Winter World, a 3 issue Post-apocalyptic mini by Chuck Dixion.

Scout, by Tim Truman. America has fallen to that state of a third world country. Sci-fi with Native American mysticism. DE ahs started republishing it in TPB.

Alien Encounters, fun sci-fi anthology in the same manner as the EC stuff and the twilight zone.

Laser Eraser and Pressbutton, A sexy assassin and her cyborg buddy do the universe.

Other companies

The Legend of Mother Sarah

The Last American

Judge Dredd

Y: the last Man

The Gold Key Star Trek is good goofy fun

[Lone Ranger]

I cannot recommend Magnus enough - it rocks.

To get a good sense of what sci-fi books were like in the late 40s/early 50s, I recommend Golden Age of Science Fiction Treasury.

It has a ton of reprints with art by the likes of Wood, Ditko and Krigstein. I found it at a remaindered bookstore here in Toronto for a low price, but I noticed a few eBay stores have it at pretty much the cover price (it's out of print, I think):

GOLDEN-AGE-SCIENCE-FICTION-TREASURY-VOL-1 (http://cgi.ebay.ca/GOLDEN-AGE-SCIENCE-FICTION-TREASURY-VOL-1-TP-2-50-ship_W0QQitemZ6612807954QQihZ012QQcategoryZ35777QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem)

Paradox was also a pretty good sci-fi character from what the one issue I read - he made a couple of appearances in Marvel Preview/Bizarre Adventures, but I don't know much else about him:

MARVEL-PREVIEW-24-PARADOX (http://cgi.ebay.ca/MARVEL-PREVIEW-24-PARADOX-DEBUT-LAST-ISSUE-MAG-HI-GR_W0QQitemZ320076654060QQihZ011QQcategoryZ12592QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

[Wessner]

I enjoy Matt Howarth's work. His comics often have very strong science fiction overtones, exploring ideas instead of just having spaceships and robots as props. And his alien designs are second to none. Howarth is best know for his Bugtown stories, but his Keif Lama stories (in her own series and in Particle Dreams) is some of his strongest SF work IMO. Some series to look for:

Particle Dreams
Keif Lama: Xenotech
Savage Henry
Those Annoying Post Bros.

[Wessner]

Phil Foglio's work is another good SF read, albiet with a light, cartoony drawing style. His Buck Godot stories is great, fun SF and his current Girl Genius series is a fun riff on gaslight mad science.

[Nate C.]

thanx to everyone for the responses. I am continuing to read through the thread and plan on seeking out much of what's been listed. I may have a question or two for some of you guys, so hang tight.

thanks again and keep thinking!

Dan, I should have mentioned that I have the complete Nexus. Great series and one everyone should take a look at.

also for everyone, I'm fond of Lazer Eraser and Pressbutton. Any apocolyptic British stuff out there I could take a look at?

[Slam_Bradley]

You really ought to give Atari Force a try, Nate. It's easily the best thing Gerry Conway did after his Amazing Spider-Man run.

[Nate C.]

You really ought to give Atari Force a try, Nate. It's easily the best thing Gerry Conway did after his Amazing Spider-Man run.

Slam, I could see putting that on a short list out of this thread. I had the first four mini comics when I was buying atari games, and I have fond memories.

[will_butler]

Alien Encounters, fun sci-fi anthology in the same manner as the EC stuff and the twilight zone.


This man speaks the truth. There's an utterly great story in issue #1 called "Pretending" that absolutely blew my mind when I was a kid. I gave away almost all my comics when I got out of collecting in my teens, but I still have this issue tucked away, and still love that story.

Will

[MichikoS]

Some good sci-fi comics...

I enjoyed STAR-LORD a great deal, and wish that the character as he was originally conceived could be revived. Today's Peter Quill isn't exactly what I have in mind...track down a copy of Marvel Preview #4 (1976 b&w magazine) and check it out. Star-Lord's subsequent incarnations haven't been bad, or anything...I just think that the original premise was unfulfilled.

C&C mentioned THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES. I agree. It's good sci-fi from Alan Moore. I'd also recommend SKIZZ by Moore and Jim Baikie. Sort of like ET meets Walter Hill's THE WARRIORS. It's a tad dated, I think, but Moore's central themes hold up well.

I also second the recommendation of Matt Howarth's KEIF LLAMA. Weird stuff.

OCEAN by Warren Ellis is a recent mini-series that captured that good ol' sensawunder that I look for in good SF. Bit of a letdown in the finale, but the lead-up is top-flight.

I enjoyed SIX FROM SIRIUS I and II by Moench and Gulacy, but then again I enjoyed SCI-SPY (I know, I know) too.

And finally, one of my favorite funny animal sci-fi/space operas, BUCKY O'HARE!

The BUCKY saga was originally told serially in the otherwise forgettable series ECHO OF FUTUREPAST, then collected in a graphic novel, then in a 5-issue series, then on to limited success as a TV show...and just recently, as a strange manga-format digest in black and white (see below):

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i221/elbert_coalwell/bucky_o.jpg

I bought it, but the manga format doesn't work for me at all. The baroque flourishes of Michael Golden's art are incomprehensible in this small format, and Larry Hama's wonderfully overheated prose sounds tinny and false. Track down the color graphic novel or the floppies. They're still cheap, when you can find them, but I notice that they're getting scarcer...

Michi

[dupersuper]

I'll add to the Ellis love by mentioning Transmetropolis and...I believe the name of his 1-shot was Atmospherics. There's also the current Mystery in Space mini that has alot of dc's sci-fi charactors, along with charactors from 2 previous Starlin minis.

[Kirk G]

May I suggest an outstanding book that has been printed twice? The first location was in a trade paper back called The Art of John Byrne. The second was in a comic book format, with a little bit more artwork, or a coda, called "Critical Error".

It is an OUTSTANDING silent science fiction story. I HIGHLY recommend you seek it out!

[T GUy]

Aaron King: I'd like to add my support to Nexus, Legion of Super-Heroes, and the Kirby sci-fi from Kamandi to Fourth World.

I'd like to add my support to the Kirby sci-fi from Kamandi to Fourth World and specifically add 2001 (far superior to the film) and The Eternals (first 12 or 13 issues only, unless you feel like going on).

[Graham Vingoe]

a couple of titles not mentioned but which I really like are both by Doug Moench

Electric Warrior- the structure of this really appealed to me with built in complete plot twists changing everything after 8 or 9 issues. It was a real pity that this folded just as I think it really found its feet.

More importantly Eclipse Comic's Aztec Ace by Moench and Dan Day( primarily) - conspiracy theories, time paradoxes ,Cleopatra and superheroics, all wound together in a criminally underrated series which is well worth tracking down.
:)

[dan bailey]

Some good sci-fi comics...
I enjoyed STAR-LORD a great deal, and wish that the character as he was originally conceived could be revived. Today's Peter Quill isn't exactly what I have in mind...track down a copy of Marvel Preview #4 (1976 b&w magazine) and check it out.


I must agree. I haven't replaced my long-gone copy of that ish because I haven't found one dirt cheap, but I remember really, really digging it back when it came out. The comparison that occurred to me then was to primo Heinlein space opera.

[Lone Ranger]

I was thinking of recommending Star-Lord as well, but then I couldn't figure out a way to point Nate towards any prospective purchases since the Star-Lord stories were spread out across so many titles in the late 70s.

[Jake Lockley]

More importantly Eclipse Comic's Aztec Ace by Moench and Dan Day( primarily) - conspiracy theories, time paradoxes ,Cleopatra and superheroics, all wound together in a criminally underrated series which is well worth tracking down.
:)

Talk about a trip in the way-back time machine! That's a definite blast from my past. I was buying my comics via mail-order subscription service back then, and somehow they didn't send me copies of issue 6 or 7. It must have taken 6 months to get replacement issues sent! Anyway, it was a shame the series ended so soon. I would love to see a revival of the title.

[dan bailey]

Dan, I should have mentioned that I have the complete Nexus. Great series and one everyone should take a look at.


Neat! I've got about 2/3rds of the run & need to start filling in the gaps ... I think I'm got 'em all through #32 or thereabouts & don't lack more than a couple ishes in a row till I get to # 66.

[Slam_Bradley]

Has anyone mentioned Grimjack or Starslayer?

Cause if they haven't...they sure as hell should.

[Shellhead]

My favorites, in order:

1. Six From Sirius. Two 4-issue minis from Epic. As Michiko mentioned, this was kind of mixture of science-fiction and (cinematic) espionage, with great writing from Doug Moench and excellent artwork from Paul Gulacy at the top of his game.

2. Grimjack. Lengthy series from First that is very accessible right now, thanks to the full-color trade reprints coming out in the last two years. It's a mixture of science-fiction, fantasy, noir, and even some old west influences, written by John Ostrander. The artwork is uneven after the initial run by Tim Truman.

3. Dreadstar. Monthly series from Epic that lasted a couple of years and then switched to being published by First. This is science-fiction written on the very high end of the power scale, yet with very good characterization and some amazing plot twists. This is some of Jim Starlin's best work. The quality of the series does vary, because Starlin's plot twists sometimes completely changed the whole setting, and not always for the better. Late in the series, Peter David took over, with a rough start and a sloppy finish, but some outstanding issues in the middle of his run.

4. Killraven. Originally published in Amazing Adventures by Marvel, this whole series is now available as an Essential volume. Spartacus meets War of the Worlds in the early 21st Century. The initial issue pencilled by Neal Adams is actually a weak start. Don McGregor wrote some amazing scenes, including the first interracial kiss in comics. And the artwork by P. Craig Russell is amazing.

5. Deathlok. Another great science-fiction series from Marvel, the original Deathlok run was published monthly in Astonishing Tales. This is cyberpunk before there was a cyberpunk genre, including a depiction of the internet nearly 20 years before most people knew there was an internet. This was a grim and violent comic that was years ahead of its time, judging by the cancellation in mid-story.

6. Sabre. Eclipse published this challenging series by Don McGregor, featuring a post-apocalyptic world and a hero who looked like a muscular Jimi Hendrix. Great stuff, but hard to find the roughly 20 issues that were published.

7. Alien Legion. Another Epic monthly. Interesting characters, good artwork. Basically it's an alien version of the French Foreign Legion, in some exciting battles.

8. Slash Maraud. Six-issue mini from DC. Post-apocalyptic environment caused by an alien invasion and subsequent terra-forming efforts. Same creative team as Six From Sirius, but more fun and lower quality.

[Buzz Dixon]

Speaking of time machines, I'd also recommend the original CLASSIC ILLUSTRATED versions of WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE TIME MACHINE.

[dan bailey]

Seeing Buzz's name here reminds me of some of the anthology books he wrote for in the '80s, like Alien Worlds & Alien Encounters. (Not sure you acutally wrote for those particular ones, Buzz, but I know I've come across your name in the credits for a lot of somewhat similar books from that period from Eclipse & others ... Maybe I'm thinking of Twisted Tales &/or Tales of Terror instead.)

[Kirk G]

This man speaks the truth. There's an utterly great story in issue #1 called "Pretending" that absolutely blew my mind when I was a kid. I gave away almost all my comics when I got out of collecting in my teens, but I still have this issue tucked away, and still love that story.

Will

Sounds like a guilty pleasure confession to me!:D

Is there anychance of the rest of us finding this story?

Was it ever reprinted anywhere accessable? Thanks!

[Buzz Dixon]

Seeing Buzz's name here reminds me of some of the anthology books he wrote for in the '80s, like Alien Worlds & Alien Encounters. (Not sure you acutally wrote for those particular ones, Buzz, but I know I've come across your name in the credits for a lot of somewhat similar books from that period from Eclipse & others ... Maybe I'm thinking of Twisted Tales &/or Tales of Terror instead.)When Bruce Jones started doing all the writing and editing, the books changed titles (or maybe the books had started with him under one title then switched when they opened up to other; I can't recall at this moment).

[benday-dot]

I have always had a fondness for the Star Rovers back up strip from Mystery in Space. The stories were all of the old school out-of-this-world aesthetic... charming, naive and rather wonderful. The writing was Gardner Fox's and the art, the great, and often over looked Sid Greene's. I don't know if these have seen much reprint coverage. Pity, if not.

[MDG]

I discovered most of the DC science fiction characters in the 70s reprints, and I really enjoy them: Space Cabby, Atomic Knights, Star Hawkins... But the Star Rovers are my favorites. An interesting writing formula--the same story from three different pints of view, none of them right. And the Star Rovers brought us the Loborilla.

MDG

[will_butler]

Sounds like a guilty pleasure confession to me!:D

Is there anychance of the rest of us finding this story?

Was it ever reprinted anywhere accessable? Thanks!

I feel no guilt whatsoever in enjoying that book. Truly well done stuff. :) I did a quick perusal of the net, and it doesn't look like it was ever reprinted, but the comic itself is thankfully not worth much, and can be had fairly cheaply. If you find a copy, I'd really suggest giving it a shot.

Will

[Hintermann]

Speaking of time machines, I'd also recommend the original CLASSIC ILLUSTRATED versions of WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE TIME MACHINE.

Also their Off On a Comet. A real off beat old time Sci-fi if ever there was one.

[Aaron King]

Ooh, also, keep an eye out for all of the Michael Moorcock/Walt Simonson books. They did a bunch of Elric-related comics. They're more fantasy than sci-fi sometimes, but they're pretty cool. Also, along these lines and also relating to Jack Kirby, Walt Simonson's Orion series was really cool!

[nonhosonno]

DC's releasing one of those Moorcock/Simonson jobs as a Showcase Presents volume later this summer. I'm looking forward to checking it out.