THERE’S NO DENYING the impact comic books have had on our culture. From teaching generations of people from a young age about imaginative, diverse stories to inspiring movies that dominated the box office for a solid decade, there’s very little space remaining that's untouched by comics. Whether someone’s into grabbing single issues from their local shop, or trade paperbacks from their favorite bookstore, there’s a comic book out there for everyone. Comics don’t just tell their own story—they impact every reader differently.
Comics are a common source of inspiration for movies and TV for a reason: they’re home to some of the most imaginative, inventive, and exciting concepts in all of fiction. Jack Kirby’s ideas for Marvel in the psychedelic age of the ‘60s made characters like the Fantastic Four and the Eternals into colorful, one-of-a-kind icons, while creators like Frank Miller and Alan Moore would later take things on a grounded and gritty turn. Writers Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman came from across the pond in the ‘80s and ‘90s, ushering in their own unique, fantastical elements to the medium. Comics have gone in all sorts of directions throughout the years, and that’s all thanks to the creative geniuses providing the ideas.
But comics aren’t just their characters, and they’re not just their creators, and they’re not just their readers, and they’re not just the ideas at the core of their stories; like everything else in literature, it’s the combination that helps paint the full picture. And that’s why in The Men’s Health All-Star Guide to Comics, we wanted to bring everything together in one place. We went to the depths of space and time to get recommendations from 45 of our favorite writers and artists. We dove deep into the singular history and varied present of the superhero body. We put together lists, created an interactive quiz to custom pick your favorite comic, conducted exclusive interviews, brought in legendary writers for guest essays, and, yes, even cooked up a couple ideas for how to fix the slumping MCU. We did that all because the world of comic books allowed for it. It’s expansive, and exciting, for a reason; as always, there’s much to talk about, much to dive into, and so much more to appreciate than one could imagine.
So, at this point, all we can ask of you is to sit back, dive in, and enjoy. This is hardly an all-encompassing guide, but we hope it’ll provide a mix of entertainment and enlightenment into a world we all feel so passionate about. As our good friend Stan Lee so often said, Excelsior!
Collages by Jason Speakman.
ADDITIONAL CREDITS: Marvel Comics; Marvel Studios; DC Comics; Image Comics; Dark Horse Comics; Oni Press; Getty Images; American International Pictures; 20th Century Studios; Dreamworks; Neon; The Weinstein Company
