The Greatest Graphic Novels Of All Time

Before Marvel handed over the keys to the X-Men to Grant Morrison, they let him get his ya-yas out in this insane story set somewhere outside of continuity. When trans-dimensional astronaut Noh-Varr of the Kree Empire ends up on Earth, his crewmates dead and his ship missing, he sets about to reform our debased society by force. Featuring such foes as Hexus, the Living Corporation and Joe Midas, who has the mutant powers to turn anything to his advantage, this is probably the only comic where the hero carves "F--- You" in giant letters of flame in Manhattan.

Alan Moore shows up on this list once again - it's kind of sad, really, but few writers have had as enduring an impact across as many genres. One of his long-running obsessions has been with magic - not rabbits out of hats, but old-school Aliester Crowley fundamentals of the universe stuff. In Promethea, his series with artist John H. Williams III, he indulges this fascination in an incredible way. Promethea is a superheroine, sort of, but she's also a symbol of the power of fiction, and this gorgeous journey through the realms of the unreal is a challenging, but rewarding read.

If you wish The Wire was still on the air and are missing your dose of hard-boiled police action, have I got a comic for you. Paul Grist's Kane starts out with a simple premise: Detective Kane of the New Eden Police Department has returned from a suspension. But he got that suspension as a result of killing his partner Dennis Harvey, who was caught up in some corrupt business. Now Kane has few friends inside the department and even fewer outside it. This dense, layered book is carried by Grist's singular art, which looks like a more cartoony Mike Mignola.

Jean "Moebius" Giraud is one of the most influential comic book illustrators of all time, with his incredible mastery of line and form elevating him to the top tier of cartoonists. In Arzach, one of his classic books, Moebius takes us through four short stories, each delineated in his incredible style. The titular character, an unspeaking warrior who rides a giant pterodactyl-like bird, wanders seemingly aimlessly through dreamlike landscapes, coming into contact with a variety of situations. This is a veritable feast for the eyes that you won't soon digest.