Marvel has nifty success with theMCU , which no uncertainty will continue with the July 8th release ofThor : Love and Thunder . DC has likewise had a people of great tv offer , withthe lagger for the third seasonofHarley Quinnrecently drop . It seems like it ’s impossible to avoid these monoliths , but autonomous comics do live .

Sometimes they are created by obscure branches of larger party or experienced writers branching out . Other fourth dimension they can be pure amateur productions that break the mold . Whatever the causa , fan ofRankerhave come to vote for their favorites . These include some of the most influential whole shebang in the medium .

notice : Ranker lists are fan - vote , experience , and continue to fall votes , so some rankings may have changed after this publishing .

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

Scalped

Scalpedis a illustrious comic from DC ’s Vertigo imprint by Jason Aaron and RM Guera . It was originally planned as a reboot of the DC character Scalphunter , but he was cast in favor of a more grounded tale . It skirt a grouping of Ogala Lakota citizenry living in a South Dakotan booking .

The series mete out with poverty , offence , and centre misuse that can chevy nonage communities . The protagonist , Dashiell Bad Horse , return to the booking after year away . Upon returning , he deals with the politics of the reservation and ethnical indistinguishability . The serial was praise when expel , although it is controversial today for not having any real Lakota involve in its creation .

Transmetropolitan

Warren Ellisfrequently wrote books for look-alike comics , but his biggest succeeder was Helix’sTransmetropolitan . Despite the author ’s other glum heroes , like Netflix’sCastlevania ’s Trevor , Spider Jerusalem will always stay his edgiest booster . A gonzo diarist in a transhuman time to come , Spider seeks the truth in decree to keep public figure in power accountable .

The serial follow Spider as he leaves retirement to finish his publishing deal . He descends into the city to meet up with the news media and theme on local transhuman matter . The serial publication has a lot to say about abuses of celebrity and power , charge of which even come to Spider . The serial add up out in the ' 90s , but remain relevant today as newsworthiness media continues to develop .

Southern Bastards

Southern Bastardsis an on-going series that begin in 2014 . create by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour , it takes place in the modest and outlaw Craw County , Alabama . It stars Earl Tubb , the son of the local sheriff and a former in high spirits school football game player . He ends up get into battle with his old squad ’s charabanc , Euless Boss .

Coach Boss turn out to be a crime lord and Earl attempt to do something about his force . Of course , things do n’t end up being that uncomplicated . The series was describe as a dual tribute and unfavorable judgment of southerly American culture . It earned a lot of compare to Aaron ’s antecedently mentionedScalpedand took home an Eisner in 2016 for Best Continuing Series .

Paper Girls

If one has kept a near eye on Amazon ’s streaming schedule , they ’ll see that a telly adaptation of this comedian is coming in late July 2022 . However , Paper Girlshas plenty of meritoriousness as a comic that should n’t be missed out on . The artistic creation by Cliff Chiang is also not to be missed as it perfectly illustrate the bizarre escapade of Erin , MacKenzie , KJ , and Tiffany .

The story , penned by Brain Vaughan , concerns the said girls getting caught up in a warfare . Not just any warfare , though , but an inter - time war between time travelers . These warring factions , the Teenagers and Old - Timers , impose their dark reality on the missy ' optimistic future .   It ’s a corking , singular narration with four incredible leads in the girls themselves .

Chew

While a television show has long been in development hell , as of writing , Chewhasn’t gotten its deserved adaptation . It ’s a shame , as itwould make for a peachy detective TV show . Tony Chu wreak for the FDA in an alternate America where chicken is illegalise . Here , he solves crimes by getting psychical imprints from the food for thought that he eats .

This put out to human beings as well , conduct to the requisite of these " cibopaths . " Tony ends up bouncing between several different departments over the serial publication . The series was praise for both its off - the - wall assumption and its whodunit . This precede to a spinoff , Chu , released in 2020 .

Deadly Class

UnlikeChew , Deadly Classdidreceive a television version on SyFy . Unfortunately , it ran for only one time of year andleftDeadly Classfans with short ton of questions . The original Image comedian is more than desirable of a read for those fan . The series select place in a secret San Francisco school that trains assassins .

The protagonist , Marcus Lopez Arguello , joins the school off the street . There he comes into battle with other students , which usually include the reprehensible elite . While following the " outcast gets into special school " format very common in teenaged chronicle , it subverts it in dark and surprising ways . The series is as of yet bare , but the final arc has been declare .

Preacher

With the success ofThe Boys , works by Garth Ennis have been very red-hot . Nothing is " hotter " than Ennis ' sacredly chargedPreacher , whose protagonist commands the powers of heaven and hell . Jesse Custer is have by a being called Genesis , the spawn of holy person and demons . After this king murders his congregation , he journeys to literally discover god for revenge and response .

The Vertigo comic is often considered Ennis ' good body of work , with wild characters like the Irish lamia Cassidy and Custer ’s girlfriend Tulip . The series also received a TV adaptation which was received quite well . However , it diverged from the source material . The original work is blue and fierce , but also an influential chef-d’oeuvre that Steven King has cited as an inspiration .

East Of West

East of Westis a book for people who love wild , out - there construct . The story takes place in an America where the Civil War never terminate and the nation has break open up into seven rural area . If that is n’t enough , the Revelation of Saint John the Divine has come as the Four Horsemen materialise around America . The story follows Death , part of the group contradict the last of metre .

Despite the high-flown backstory , the serial is largely a retaliation - focused Western . destruction assay retaliation on the other horsemen and their follower who almost murdered him and his mortal family . The serial was praised for its lofty chronicle and its excellent artistry . It remains one of the best examination of Leslie Townes Hope in the hopeless in the comic Holy Writ medium .

Y: The Last Man

Brian K. Vaughan is a slap-up mirthful book writerwho has already been mention . For all of his successes , they all lead off with his first Jehovah - owned comicY : The Last Man . While the Almighty himself consider it a stepping Harlan Fisk Stone to his other employment like Saga , fans on Ranker consider it the secondly - right Indie comic . It ’s gentle to see why with its super singular assumption .

An unknown event has make the death of every mammal with a Y chromosome except for protagonist Yorick and his pet monkey . The series title is a clever dual character to Yorick ’s name , chromosome , and the ongoing mystery . As companionship break down and secede groups form either , Yorick travels the broken world . The series was revolutionary when it was first released but has image more criticism for its sex politics in recent years .

Fables

The biggest succeeder of DC ’s Vertigo imprint is arguablyFables . Bill Willingham ’s 2002 serial redefined tons of Graeco-Roman fairy narration character from the public domain as residents of New York City . They ’ve formed a small community known as Fabletown , but reverberation from their native land still impact them now . Local sheriff Bigby Wolf attempts to keep the peace , but the pandemonium of their lives continue to threaten their community .

The series has been lauded for its excellent writing and as such has won fourteen Eisner honour . This success leads to numerous spin - off titles and a 2022 miniseries continuance . The serial publication also received a 2013 video game adaptation in Telltale’sThe Wolf Among Usseries . Unfortunately , no film or television adaptations have made it out of maturation hell , but the serial still remains the turn one cream for indie comic fans .

NEXT : The 10 Best Indie Comic Series Of All Time concord To Reddit

A man with nuclear explosions going off behind him in The Far Side.

bucky barnes winter soldier in front of several thunderbolts villains

Two side by side images of Paper Girls and Deadly Class comics

Scalped comic book cover

Spider Jerusalem Twirling his Gun and Laughing in Transmetropolitan

Southern Bastards Comic

A group of four girls riding their bikes on paper route in evening.

Chew Comic Image of the protagonist in front of a multicolored facade of other characters.

Deadly Class comics characters in front of the title

Jesse stands in front of a wall of flame from Preacher

Death riding his robotic horse in his white costume, East Of West

Yorick looks pensive while Ampersand stands on his shoulders

A woman runs after a subway full of people

Paper Girls