What to Read After Watchmen > Genres > SciFi & Dystopia
Science Fiction & Dystopian Comics
100% by Paul Pope
Set in Manhattan in 2038, Pope creatively combines romance, cyberpunk, and science fiction elements from a variety of sources. While not plot-heavy, each narrative is connected by the locale of a nightclub and the dancers, busboys, waitresses and patrons who pass through. Pope's world is highly realistic and should appeal to SF fans of authors including William Gibson and Jeff Noon.
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30 Days of Night by Steve Niles
A three-issue miniseries, 30 Days of Night was adapted into a film in 2007. While the premise is simple - because of Alaska's extended darkness, vampires migrate there in order to recuperate, until residents and vampire-hunters attempt to destroy the scourge - the overall effect of the story is not to be underestimated. The novel is violent and raw with a mood of claustrophobia and dread, and the artwork is murky and atmospheric. An enjoyable read for horror and vampire fans.
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Ball Peen Hammer by Adam Rapp and George O'Connor
Set in a post-apocalyptic world overtaken with an AIDS-like plague, Ball Peen Hammer follows the lives of three urban youth who attempt to survive while reconciling the emotions of their former lives. As Goldsmith describes in Booklist: "Eminently suited to Rapp’s grim and demanding vision, O’Connor’s full-color art meshes with the spare text and conveys portions of the tale all by itself; it embraces just the right cartooniness to keep the flow of grim events emotionally bearable. Not for gentle readers, Rapp’s fatalistic urban future is never scarier than when its child and adult players’ motivations and emotions are the most realistic."
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Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette and John Totleben
The swamp thing creature has seen various re-imaginings through comics and film, but Alan Moore's run with the plant-human hybrid takes a fresh approach which brings new themes of environmentalism and humanity which are particularly relevant to the modern era. This series introduced a significant female readership to mainstream comics with carefully characterized heroines, and continues to appeal to fans with the reissue in three hardcover editions. Smart and sophisticated, Swamp Thing is considered among Moore's greatest.
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Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson, and Jerome K. Moore
Gonzo journalism in a cyberpunk future of alien/human hybridization and escalated consumer culture and news saturation, Transmetropolitan is a funny and vicious critique of modern life, media, and politics. Spider Jerusalem, a columnist come out of retirement, is height of iconoclasm and drug-addled, anti-establishment rage. The story is involving and Robertson's art fills every panel with a clutter of future-junk and cultural references.
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V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
V for Vendetta continues the dystopian tradition imagined by Huxley, Orwell, and Bradbury. Set in totalitarian London, the antihero V embodies amoral anarchy as he takes vengeance on his former captors in a concentration camp and test facility. The murky, faded color artwork complements the somber mood of this essential Moore graphic novel.
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The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn
Airing soon on AMC as a television series, The Walking Dead capitalizes on the popularity of the modern zombie survival narrative, but brings to the table a large, diverse, and highly developed cast of characters. The zombie hordes will appeal to Romero fans and traditionalists, as they obey a strict set of laws and create the setting in which the true horror lies in human nature. Moore's black and white art is suited to the splatter and gore of this violent and engaging comic. Kirkman has mastered the cliffhanger for the end of each issue, so prepare to set aside full evenings with the omnibus editions.
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Y: the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Y: The Last Man imagines a near-present in which an unknown event wipes all y-chromosomed creatures from the earth, with the exception of Yorick, an escape artist, and his male pet monkey. An intriguing premise with highly-readable delivery, Y: The Last Man examines the repercussions through society as women rally together in both governments and violent, ideologically-driven gangs. Notable for its depth of character portrayal and clean artwork, this series is among the most popular contemporary releases.
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