Comics All Fans Should Read
If you only ever read twelve comics, read these. The books that show up on every list, every time — and actually deserve to.
12 picksGrab any pick — one click
Tap Buy to open Amazon, or the title for the full review.
- 1The Dark Knight ReturnsOld, angry Batman — still the most influential run in comics.Buy
- 2
WatchmenThe book that made comics grow up, in the edition worth shelving.Buy - 3
Batman: Year OneThe cleanest Batman origin ever put on paper — the perfect first comic.Buy - 4
All-Star SupermanThe definitive Superman story, and it stands completely alone.Buy - 5
Infinity GauntletThe source material behind the biggest movie of the decade.Buy - 6
Civil WarHero versus hero done properly — nothing like the film.Buy - 7
Daredevil: Born AgainA masterclass in tearing a hero down and rebuilding him.Buy - 8
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & NocturnesThe gateway into the greatest fantasy comic ever published.Buy - 9
Kingdom ComeA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 10
Wolverine: Old Man LoganPost-apocalyptic Wolverine — the book that inspired Logan.Buy - 11
The Dark Phoenix SagaA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 12
Batman: HushThe best-looking Batman book ever drawn, full stop.Buy
Why this packRead the explainerHide
Why these picks belong together
Ask a hundred readers for the greatest comics ever made and the same twelve titles keep coming back. They're here because each one broke something open: Watchmen killed the straight superhero story, Dark Knight Returns aged Batman, Sandman proved comics could be literature. None of them need any prior reading, and once you've finished the shelf you'll understand every reference the internet makes.
How to start
- 1
Start with the shortest one you recognise — momentum matters more than order here.
- 2
Read one all the way through before buying the next. These are dense books.
- 3
Keep the ones you loved and upgrade them later in the Collector Grails pack.