Artist: DC Comics
Title: “Essential Graphic Novels”
Label: DC Entertainment
Release Date: 5/28/2013
Genre: Illustrated Medium
Rating: 3.5/5

This free edition was available at the comic shops very recently and it seemed that you were allowed to take a copy with you if you had purchased the new Superman title that was also on the stands. Well, at least this was what I noticed when I caught a glimpse of it at Forbidden Planet in NYC. Now that this free edition is available in a digital format and can be enjoyed either via your Kindle or other mobile devices, I figured let me give it a glance and see what it’s recommending to the fans of this kind of medium. The opening section of the book gives you what the editors have determined to be “25” absolutely essential trade paperback editions and I am happy to report that I have personally read no less than eleven of them. I admit that I was shocked and felt that I would be closer to the complete run of twenty five must have reads but then I glanced over the list a little deeper. There are several that I consider “solid” reads and a nice addition to your collection but as far as “essential” goes? Not too much. Let me preface this by citing how “Watchmen”, “V For Vendetta”, “Dark Knight Returns”, “Killing Joke” and “Kingdom Come” are must haves in ones collection and fantastic reads that you will return to again and again over the years and even make as recommendations to your friends that might be looking to indulge in the medium. I’ll also add the “Saga Of Swamp Thing” and the “JLA” to the mix because from page to page they keep you focused on the story and the incredibly written characters. “Swamp Thing” is just gripping and with “JLA” we were returning to the original core seven greats of the team. Whew was all I could say during those first few issues.

Now since this list is coming care of the editors over at DC Comics they are going to have their favorites and with that being said here are some tomes that I myself view as absolutely essential to own or at least read if visiting a friend that might have it. First up “Green Lantern/Green Arrow”; this title changed the times and how a comic book could be delivered. “Man Of Steel” was the revamp of Superman as done by John Byrne and this is a must have. “Superman Batman Generations”, the first volume brings us a tale of the hero’s first meeting as youths and into their far off future time. It’s a bit of an Elseworlds tale but I loved it. There is also some magic to be found in the book I feel is a seminal tome for collectors with “Crisis On Infinite Earths”. This was the first company-wide revision of their characters and found some of the long standing cast not making it out alive. I’d like to add that there are numerous collected editions of the earliest stories of numerous heroes and based on who you like to follow, should be investigated from the humble beginnings.
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