Tuesday, April 2, 2013

The Best Graphic Novels Ever #1 -- Camelot 3000

1. Camelot 3000
by Mike Barr and Brian Bolland
Published by DC Comics

Here we are, folks. My pick for the #1 graphic novel story of all time. After months of crawling through this list we have finally arrived, and this one is a doozy.

Camelot 3000 is not only the first maxi-series published by DC (and one of the first Direct projects), but it's also the story that re-taught comic book writers how to tell a complete, long-form, limited series with a beginning, middle, and and end. It gives readers all the joys of an ongoing comic with cliffhanger ending between issues and yet a solid, cohesive tale that wraps up the plots AND subplots.

It also renewed interest among comic book readers in the Arthurian legends, but that's neither here nor there.

This book pushed the limits for the time it was published in its content with gender issues, homosexual relationships, real-life drama, and a smattering of hotbed political issues from election to monarchy to using violence to achieve political ends.

If Camelot 3000 isn't a perfect comic book, then I don't of any book that's closer to it.

And that's it, folks. See you soon for our next countdown list here on the blog. Feel free to email me with any suggestions.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting. That wouldn't have been my pick but then again, I can't come up with a compelling argument against it. In many ways, CAMELOT 3000 was even more of a game-changer for the industry than even WATCHMEN or THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.

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    1. For me, C3K is the seminal, quintessential complete long-form comic book story. Period. And you're right. It was a game-changer.

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