100 Greatest Comics of All Time
One hundred extraordinary works. Generations of artistic innovation. A journey through the greatest achievements in visual storytelling.
One hundred extraordinary works. Generations of artistic innovation. A journey through the greatest achievements in visual storytelling.
One hundred masterpieces. Countless stories worth discovering.
From intimate personal narratives to extraordinary imaginary worlds, from pioneering newspaper strips to ambitious graphic novels, the greatest comics offer an unparalleled journey through art, literature, and imagination.
Some will be familiar. Others may challenge your expectations. A few may completely change the way you think about comics. Every selection represents a different achievement in the history of sequential storytelling.
Discover the stories. Explore the artwork. Meet the creators.
Begin with number one ↓All one hundred, in order.
Showing 100 of 100
| # | Title | Writer & artist | First published | Publisher / origin | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maus | Art Spiegelman | 1980 | RAW / Pantheon, USA | Graphic memoir / Holocaust history |
| 2 | Watchmen | Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons | 1986 | DC Comics, USA | Political mystery / superhero deconstruction |
| 3 | The Sandman | Neil Gaiman & Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson | 1989 | DC / Vertigo, USA | Dark fantasy / mythology |
| 4 | Krazy Kat | George Herriman | 1913 | New York Evening Journal, USA | Surreal newspaper strip |
| 5 | Peanuts | Charles M. Schulz | 1950 | United Feature Syndicate, USA | Humor / family life |
| 6 | Little Nemo in Slumberland | Winsor McCay | 1905 | New York Herald, USA | Dream fantasy / newspaper adventure |
| 7 | The Incal | Alejandro Jodorowsky & Mœbius (Jean Giraud) | 1980 | Métal Hurlant / Les Humanoïdes Associés, France | Cosmic science fiction / space opera |
| 8 | Love and Rockets | Jaime Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez | 1981 | Fantagraphics, USA | Family drama / alternative comics |
| 9 | Calvin and Hobbes | Bill Watterson | 1985 | Universal Press Syndicate, USA | Humor / imagination |
| 10 | A Contract with God | Will Eisner | 1978 | Baronet Books, USA | Urban graphic novel / faith and poverty |
| 11 | The Adventures of Tintin | Hergé | 1929 | Le Petit Vingtième, Belgium | Historical adventure / mystery |
| 12 | The Eternaut (El Eternauta) | Héctor Germán Oesterheld & Francisco Solano López | 1957 | Hora Cero, Argentina | Alien invasion / survival SF |
| 13 | Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth | Chris Ware | 1992 | Fantagraphics / Pantheon, USA | Family drama / formal experiment |
| 14 | From Hell | Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell | 1989 | Taboo / Knockabout, UK / USA | Historical horror / true-crime fiction |
| 15 | Persepolis | Marjane Satrapi | 2000 | L’Association, France | Autobiographical coming-of-age |
| 16 | The Dark Knight Returns | Frank Miller | 1986 | DC Comics, USA | Dystopian superhero drama |
| 17 | Corto Maltese | Hugo Pratt | 1967 | Sgt. Kirk, Italy | Historical adventure / travel |
| 18 | Asterix | René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo | 1959 | Pilote / Dargaud, France | Historical humor / adventure |
| 19 | Pogo | Walt Kelly | 1948 | New York Star / Post-Hall Syndicate, USA | Political satire / funny animals |
| 20 | Building Stories | Chris Ware | 2012 | Pantheon, USA | Experimental domestic narrative |
| 21 | The Arrival | Shaun Tan | 2006 | Lothian, Australia | Wordless migration fantasy |
| 22 | Ghost World | Daniel Clowes | 1993 | Eightball / Fantagraphics, USA | Alternative-comics drama |
| 23 | The Adventures of Alix (Alix) | Jacques Martin | 1948 | Tintin magazine, Belgium | Historical adventure / Ancient Rome |
| 24 | The New Gods | Jack Kirby | 1971 | DC Comics, USA | Mythic superhero fantasy |
| 25 | The Ballad of Halo Jones | Alan Moore & Ian Gibson | 1984 | 2000 AD, UK | Space opera / social SF |
| 26 | Fun Home | Alison Bechdel | 2006 | Houghton Mifflin, USA | Graphic memoir / family history |
| 27 | The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck | Don Rosa | 1992 | Uncle Scrooge / Gladstone, USA | Disney adventure / historical biography |
| 28 | The Spirit | Will Eisner | 1940 | Register and Tribune Syndicate, USA | Masked crime adventure |
| 29 | Eightball | Daniel Clowes | 1989 | Fantagraphics, USA | Alternative-comics anthology |
| 30 | The Obscure Cities (Les Cités Obscures) | Benoît Peeters & François Schuiten | 1982 | (À Suivre) / Casterman, Belgium | Architectural fantasy / parallel worlds |
| 31 | Black Hole | Charles Burns | 1995 | Kitchen Sink Press, USA | Body horror / coming-of-age |
| 32 | Palestine | Joe Sacco | 1993 | Fantagraphics, USA | Graphic journalism / Middle East |
| 33 | Safe Area Goražde | Joe Sacco | 2000 | Fantagraphics, USA | War reportage / graphic journalism |
| 34 | Blankets | Craig Thompson | 2003 | Top Shelf Productions, USA | Autobiographical coming-of-age |
| 35 | The Nikopol Trilogy | Enki Bilal | 1980 | Dargaud, France | Dystopian SF / political satire |
| 36 | The World of Edena | Mœbius (Jean Giraud) | 1983 | Citroën / Casterman, France | Philosophical SF / fantasy |
| 37 | The Airtight Garage | Mœbius (Jean Giraud) | 1976 | Métal Hurlant, France | Surreal SF / metafiction |
| 38 | V for Vendetta | Alan Moore & David Lloyd | 1982 | Warrior / DC, UK / USA | Dystopian political thriller |
| 39 | Batman: Year One | Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli | 1987 | DC Comics, USA | Urban superhero origin |
| 40 | Batman: The Killing Joke | Alan Moore & Brian Bolland | 1988 | DC Comics, USA | Psychological superhero thriller |
| 41 | Daredevil: Born Again | Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli | 1986 | Marvel Comics, USA | Superhero crime drama |
| 42 | The Metabarons | Alejandro Jodorowsky & Juan Giménez | 1992 | Les Humanoïdes Associés, France | Space opera / science fantasy |
| 43 | Saga | Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples | 2012 | Image Comics, USA | Space opera / family drama |
| 44 | Cerebus | Dave Sim & Dave Sim, Gerhard | 1977 | Aardvark-Vanaheim, Canada | Long-form satire / fantasy |
| 45 | Berlin | Jason Lutes | 1996 | Black Eye / Drawn & Quarterly, USA / Canada | Historical drama / urban life |
| 46 | Epileptic (L'Ascension du Haut Mal) | David B. | 1996 | L’Association, France | Graphic memoir / family history |
| 47 | The Rabbi's Cat (Le Chat du rabbin) | Joann Sfar | 2002 | Dargaud, France | Folklore / philosophical humor |
| 48 | The Photographer (Le Photographe) | Emmanuel Guibert & Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre | 2003 | Dupuis, France | War reportage / photography |
| 49 | The Hunting Party (Partie de chasse) | Pierre Christin & Enki Bilal | 1983 | Dargaud, France | Cold War political thriller |
| 50 | Mort Cinder | Héctor Germán Oesterheld & Alberto Breccia | 1962 | Misterix, Argentina | Gothic horror / adventure |
| 51 | Perramus | Juan Sasturain & Alberto Breccia | 1982 | Circus, France | Political allegory / satire |
| 52 | Alack Sinner | Carlos Sampayo & José Muñoz | 1975 | Alter Alter, Italy | Detective noir / social critique |
| 53 | The Adventures of Dieter Lumpen | Jorge Zentner & Rubén Pellejero | 1985 | Cairo / Norma, Spain | Globetrotting adventure |
| 54 | Torpedo 1936 | Enrique Sánchez Abulí & Alex Toth, Jordi Bernet | 1982 | Creepy / Toutain Editor, Spain | Gangster noir / black comedy |
| 55 | Blacksad | Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido | 2000 | Dargaud, France | Detective noir / social history |
| 56 | The Killer (Le Tueur) | Matz & Luc Jacamon | 1998 | Casterman, France | Assassin thriller / political intrigue |
| 57 | Sin City | Frank Miller | 1991 | Dark Horse Comics, USA | Crime noir / anthology |
| 58 | Criminal | Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips & Sean Phillips | 2006 | Marvel / Icon; later Image Comics, USA | Crime noir / heists |
| 59 | Parker | Darwyn Cooke (adapting Richard Stark) & Darwyn Cooke | 2009 | IDW Publishing, USA | Heist noir / literary adaptation |
| 60 | Scalped | Jason Aaron & R. M. Guéra | 2007 | DC / Vertigo, USA | Undercover crime / neo-noir |
| 61 | Preacher | Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon | 1995 | DC / Vertigo, USA | Religious horror / crime |
| 62 | Hellboy | Mike Mignola | 1994 | Dark Horse Comics, USA | Occult action / folklore |
| 63 | Swamp Thing (Alan Moore Era) | Alan Moore & Stephen Bissette, John Totleben | 1984 | DC Comics, USA | Supernatural horror / superhero |
| 64 | Hellblazer | Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis & John Ridgway, Steve Dillon | 1988 | DC / Vertigo, USA | Occult detective / urban fantasy |
| 65 | Locke & Key | Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodríguez | 2008 | IDW Publishing, USA | Supernatural horror / family |
| 66 | The Walking Dead | Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard | 2003 | Image Comics, USA | Zombie apocalypse / survival |
| 67 | Harrow County | Cullen Bunn & Tyler Crook | 2015 | Dark Horse Comics, USA | Folk horror / mystery |
| 68 | My Favorite Thing Is Monsters | Emil Ferris | 2017 | Fantagraphics, USA | Horror memoir / identity |
| 69 | Through the Woods | Emily Carroll | 2014 | Simon & Schuster, USA | Horror short stories |
| 70 | Beautiful Darkness (Jolies Ténèbres) | Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët | 2009 | Dupuis, France | Dark fairy tale / fantasy |
| 71 | The Sculptor | Scott McCloud | 2015 | First Second, USA | Fantasy / art and mortality |
| 72 | Daytripper | Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá | 2010 | DC / Vertigo, USA | Magical realism / life and death |
| 73 | Asterios Polyp | David Mazzucchelli | 2009 | Pantheon, USA | Formal literary drama |
| 74 | Here | Richard McGuire | 1989 | Pantheon, USA | Experimental time and memory |
| 75 | Sabrina | Nick Drnaso | 2018 | Drawn & Quarterly, Canada | Psychological media drama |
| 76 | The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye | Sonny Liew | 2015 | Epigram Books, Singapore | Historical fiction / comics history |
| 77 | Paying the Land | Joe Sacco | 2020 | Metropolitan Books, USA | Graphic journalism / Indigenous rights |
| 78 | Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands | Kate Beaton | 2022 | Drawn & Quarterly, Canada | Graphic memoir / labor |
| 79 | Louis Riel | Chester Brown | 1999 | Drawn & Quarterly, Canada | Historical biography / politics |
| 80 | The Arab of the Future (L’Arabe du futur) | Riad Sattouf | 2014 | Allary Éditions, France | Autobiographical coming-of-age |
| 81 | March | John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell | 2013 | Top Shelf Productions, USA | Civil-rights memoir |
| 82 | Gender Queer | Maia Kobabe | 2019 | Oni Press, USA | Autobiographical gender memoir |
| 83 | Stuck Rubber Baby | Howard Cruse | 1995 | DC / Paradox Press, USA | Historical fiction / civil rights |
| 84 | Blueberry | Jean-Michel Charlier, Jean Giraud (Mœbius / Gir) & Jean Giraud (Mœbius / Gir) | 1963 | Pilote / Dargaud, France | Western / historical adventure |
| 85 | One! Hundred! Demons! | Lynda Barry | 2002 | Sasquatch Books, USA | Autobiographical short stories |
| 86 | Hark! A Vagrant | Kate Beaton | 2011 | Drawn & Quarterly, Canada | Historical parody / literary humor |
| 87 | The Far Side | Gary Larson | 1980 | Chronicle Features, USA | Single-panel observational humor |
| 88 | Thimble Theatre (Popeye) | E. C. Segar | 1919 | King Features Syndicate, USA | Newspaper adventure / comedy |
| 89 | Donald Duck (Carl Barks Stories) | Carl Barks | 1942 | Dell Comics, USA | Disney adventure / humor |
| 90 | Uncle Scrooge (Carl Barks Stories) | Carl Barks | 1952 | Dell Comics, USA | Disney adventure / satire |
| 91 | MAD (Original Comics Era) | Harvey Kurtzman & Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Will Elder | 1952 | EC Comics, USA | Satirical anthology / parody |
| 92 | The EC War Comics (Two-Fisted Tales / Frontline Combat) | Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin, Wally Wood | 1950 | EC Comics, USA | War anthology / antiwar stories |
| 93 | The Adventures of Luther Arkwright | Bryan Talbot | 1978 | Near Myths, UK | Alternate-history adventure / multiverse |
| 94 | Charley’s War | Pat Mills & Joe Colquhoun | 1979 | Battle Picture Weekly, UK | Historical war drama |
| 95 | The Tale of One Bad Rat | Bryan Talbot | 1994 | Dark Horse Comics, USA | Psychological drama / animal allegory |
| 96 | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill | 1999 | WildStorm / America’s Best Comics, USA | Literary adventure / alternate history |
| 97 | Transmetropolitan | Warren Ellis & Darick Robertson | 1997 | DC / Helix, Vertigo, USA | Cyberpunk / political satire |
| 98 | Y: The Last Man | Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra | 2002 | DC / Vertigo, USA | Post-apocalyptic SF / social drama |
| 99 | Bone | Jeff Smith | 1991 | Cartoon Books, USA | Fantasy quest / humor |
| 100 | The Complete Cul de Sac | Richard Thompson | 2007 | Washington Post Writers Group, USA | Newspaper family humor |
No comics match that search.
An editorial celebration of 100 exceptional comics and graphic novels from around the world. This collection excludes manga and embraces a wide range of genres, artistic traditions, publication formats, and historical periods. Rankings reflect editorial judgment, artistic achievement, narrative excellence, historical significance, and enduring influence rather than an absolute or universally agreed canon.