Some of the best comics have come from across the pond.
Welcome to Watchmojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10
British Comic Books.
For this list, we’ll be focusing on comic books created by British writers and/or artists.
We won’t be focusing on British writers’ runs on popular American titles, so don’t
expect to see Alan Moore’s ”Batman: The Killing Joke” on this list.
To be eligible for this list, the comic must be synonymous with the British creators who
made it a success.
Alan Moore and Stephen R. Bissette introduced British occultist John Constantine during
their run on Swamp Thing in 1985.
The smart, snarky, sarcastic magic-using con-man was a hit with readers, and received his own
title, Hellblazer, in 1988 under the creative direction of British writer Jamie Delano.
There have been a number of adaptations of the character, including a 2005 film starring
Keanu Reeves, and a short-lived television series starring Matt Ryan.
Some of the best British talent have had a crack at working on Hellblazer, including
Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and Garth Ennis, just to name a few.
Sláine debuted in the pages of 2000 A.D.
number 330, created by Pat Mills, the man responsible for bringing the massively influential
British comics anthology into the world in the first place.
Originally illustrated by Mills’ wife and collaborator Angela Kinkaid, Slaine brings
Celtic myths to life on the page with brilliant storytelling and unforgettable images.
Slaine is a wandering barbarian warrior wielding a giant axe known as Brainbiter.
Sound like Conan?
Perhaps, but Slaine’s over-the-top qualities and underlying sense of mysticism make him
stand out.
Plus, there’s nothing like Celtic mythology to give heft - and black humor - to a character.
Scottish comic book writer Grant Morrison’s brain child, “The Invisibles is almost as
strange, idiosyncratic, and psychedelic as the man himself.
According to Morrison, true credit for the story and characters belongs to aliens who
communicated with him during a strange spiritual experience he had while visiting Kathmandu.
Kind of like a twisted reimagining of the X-Men, the series follows a group of enhanced,
time-traveling, freedom fighting outcasts from The Invisible College who fight against
tyranny and oppression by any means necessary.
The group is led by the charismatic King Mob, an assassin who bears an undeniable and uncanny
resemblance to Morrison.
Alan Moore loves putting a new spin on old characters.
Swamp Thing was created by writer Len Wein and artist Berni Wrightson in 1971, as a man
turned monster who was hell-bent on regaining his humanity and avenging the death of his
wife.
But it was Alan Moore’s run on the book from 1984 to 1987 that completely revitalized
the character and saved the series from cancelation.
Moore first took the character back to his roots, then elevated him to a god-like figure.
As a so-called Plant Elemental, he became the embodiment of nature and protector of
The Green.
It’s all a bit heady, but it makes for some of the most interesting writing in comics.
English artist Steve Dillon and Northern Irish writer Garth Ennis were labeled by some as
blasphemous heretics for this comic.
Fans, though, saw this unconventional supernatural satire as a brilliant piece of comics writing
from the get-go.
Jesse Custer is a small town preacher in Texas who gets possessed by a half-angelic, half-demonic
supernatural entity known as Genesis.
Thus possessed, he is able to then control and influence people using The Word of God
– if not always for godlike purposes.
A helpful vampire, some vengeful and worried angels and a family filled with abusive religious
fanatics also figure prominently.
It all makes Preacher unlike anything that’s come before in comics, or anything that’s
come after, for that matter.
Originally published in the anthology series Warrior before it was canceled in 1985, the
story was picked up and continued a few years later and published by Vertigo.
Alan Moore and David Lloyd created a classic dystopian tale of anarchism vs. totalitarianism
in a pessimistic future vision of England.
It has been hailed for its unique style and groundbreaking storytelling, and criticized
for the extreme methods used by its protagonist.
Few comics and characters have captured the imaginations of young, rebellious types quite
like the titular character V. His crusade against the tyranny of the new world order
and the fascist regime at the center of it all strikes a strong chord.
Wouldn’t it be cool to live in a tank?
It seems to be working out for Rebecca Buck, AKA Tank Girl.
The spunky, punk-inspired anti-hero became something of an icon for anti-establishment
British youths, particularly women, in the late 80 during the Margaret Thatcher years.
Tank Girl was a darkly humorous satire that was purposely chaotic and absurdist.
Figuring out what was going on was half the fun – and ignoring it was the other half.
Tank Girl debuted in the pages of Deadline, a British comics magazine and anthology dedicated
to promoting up-and-coming talent.
Considering creators Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin went on to have illustrious careers
in the alt-comics scene, it’s fair to say Deadline did its job.
Like so many classic British comics and characters, Judge Dredd was conceived in the pages of
2000 AD.
After a sudden surge of popularity, the character received his own book, video games, and even
a couple of movies.
Created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra and Pat Mills, Dredd is a Street Judge operating
in Mega-City One – a dystopia where law enforcement officers act as judge, jury, and
executioner.
He’s an incredibly violent and visceral character, and the series appeals to fans
of unconventional artwork and stories not often found in the pages of comics.
There’s really nothing else out there quite like Judge Dredd.
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s seminal masterpiece helped bring about a seismic shift in attitudes
toward superhero comics.
Watchmen stands as a tent pole in the history of comics – a paradigm shift that most would
argue changed comics for the better by embracing adult themes and looking at the superhero
genre with a critical eye.
Alan Moore asked, not for the first time, what would really happen if the world had
costumed heroes – and the answer was both disturbing and thrilling.
Despite its setting and the thematic significance of American culture that runs throughout each
book, Watchmen was crafted by two British creators who have continued to push the boundaries
of the medium.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:
Neil Gaiman’s meticulously crafted fantasy is a deep dive into the world of the metaphysical
and the mythological.
The series follows Dream, otherwise known as Morpheus, who is a part of a group known
as The Endless.
These strange beings are embodiments of forces which control our reality.
Yet their reality is inextricably linked with our own.
Sandman is first and foremost a deconstruction and examination of stories and dreams: why
they matter so much to us, why they’ve remained at the center of human experience throughout
our history, and how they connect us all.
Gaiman has been hailed as one of the greatest writers of his generation, and Sandman is
his masterpiece.