Best Stand-Alone Comics

The Killing Joke is the definitive Joker storyline. Alan Moore creates this work, following the Joker's attempt to prove one bad day drives a man crazy.

Mark Millar wrote Red Son. The story asks what if Superman landed in Russia instead of America? It is a gripping tale ending in some real mind f**kery.

Grant Morrison and Dave McKean create a work of art in Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. This novel-length deconstruction of the Batman mythos avoids being a slog.

This comic details Superman's birthday. The ruler of an alien race imprisons Supes. Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman must team up to free him. Happy birthday!

Men of Good Fortune is an excellent Sandman story. It recounts the history of Hob Gadling, a man who refuses to die.

The Hard Goodbye is one of the first Sin City stories. Marv, a psychotic ex-convict who likes a nice coat, seeks revenge on Goldie, the man who murdered his lover one night.

Lucky, aka “Pizza Dog,” is told entirely from his point of view. Lucky is a one-eyed canine rescued in the first issue of.Hawkeye.Pizza Is My Business might be the most untraditional superhero comic. Its visually striking imagery blows the doors off the traditional detective story by following the beats exactly.

Cyclops faces Storm; X-Men leadership hangs in the balance (Storm wins). The X-Men play a super-powered game of baseball. A baby, who later becomes Cable, is born. This comic shows the start of X-Factor and the return of the original X-Men. It covers much ground across 22 pages.

The first issue of the on again, off again superhero series sets the tone. It shows a day in the life of The Samaritan, Astro City's greatest hero. He works hard to stop crime but dreams only of a day off to fly without responsibility.

This is a sweet tale about a man who goes back to tell his younger self that.This is about dreams having meaning and value, no matter what parents think. Waid grew up in a small Alabama town, and they want this to be his chance to tell himself and everyone that things get better.

This is a heart-breaking account of a new mutant discovering his powers harm everyone he touches. It shows what Wolverine must do to stop him.

Gates of Gotham revolves around a decades-old mystery about Gotham City's founding fathers. It features a shady character named The Architect and nearly every character imaginable. This beautifully crafted modern detective story demands to be read in one sitting.

Deadpool gets stuck in Amazing Spiderman Issue 47. He must figure out how to return home without breaking the timeline. This comic offers a fun, respectful tour of Golden Age comics.

Hellboy In Mexico gives you what you want from a comic book, or life. It features Luchadores! Vampires! Cthulu! This comic offers an excellent entry point into the Hellboy mythos.

We don't fully like G.I. Joe, but Silent Interlude is a groundbreaking one-shot. It follows Snake Eyes as he sneaks into Cobra's Castle to save Scarlett. Larry Hama, the author and penciler, discussed the issue by saying "I aimed to write a real, complete story. It needed a beginning, middle, end, conflict, characterization, action, and a solid resolution. No balloons, captions, or sound effects.

The Cthulu mythos, introduced by H.P. Lovecraft in the early 20th century, is a favorite cultural touchstone. Locke & Key follows this mythos and adds new pieces to the puzzle.Three Canuck gangsters pull off a heist and hide in a mansion they shouldn't occupy. This appeals to horror fans, and those who like the lights on.

Many comic readers dislike Carnage. They see him as what went wrong in the '90s comic era, but we love him. We like him in moderation, which is why this one-off Carnage gore fest is a favorite.

Scud, made by Rob Schrab and Dan Harmon (sound familiar?), feels like a handmade comic. It tracks the adventures of a hitman robot that gains self-awareness. This comic is awesome; read it or we can't be friends.