I’ve been collecting comicbooks since 1985 – November, 1985, to be exact, as that was the day I purchased my gateway comicbook, aka, Batman and the Outsiders #27 (see number 100 below). Prior to this, I’d read Archie Digests, and Herman, Ziggy, and Garfield anthologies, but something about that Batman comicbook just clicked in a big way for me (Alan Davis’s art likely had a lot to do with this; he remains both my favourite Batman artist and my favourite comicbook artist), and it caused me to became a lifelong fan of the medium.

Coming up with a list of my 100 favourite comics was particularly difficult. This is, by a wide margin, the least definitive of my favourites lists. That being said, each of the below-listed comics* connected with me in a special way, and I truly believe that every one of them is uniquely terrific.

* My chosen definition of comics includes comicbooks (series, mini-series, story arcs, runs with particular artists and writers, individual issues, and individual stories), graphic novels, and comicstrips.

100. Batman and the Outsiders #27 (W, Mike W. Barr; A, Alan Davis)

98. Beasts of Burden (W, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer; A, Jill Thompson, Benjamin Dewey)

98. Ether (W, Matt Kindt; A, David Rubin)

97. Big Man Plans (W, Eric Powell, Tim Wiesch; A, Eric Powell

96. Paper Girls  (W, Brian K. Vaughan; A, Cliff Chiang)

95. The Goon (W/A, Eric Powell)

94. Starman (W, James Robinson; A, Wade Von Grawbadger, Tony Harris)

93. The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (W/A, Geof Darrow)

92. Astro City (W, Kurt Busiek; A, Brent Anderson, var)

91. Asterio Polyp (W/A, David Mazzucchelli)

90. Dirty Plotte (W/A, Julie Doucete)

89. The Adventures of Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty (W, Fabien Nicieza; A, Kevin Maguire)

88. Rasl (W/A, Jeff Smith)

87. Lazarus (W, Greg Rucka; A, Michael Lark)

86. Book of Ballads and Sagas (W, var; A, Charles Vess)

85. Fables (W, Bill Willingham; A, Mark Buckingham, var)

84. East of West (W, Jonathan Hickman; A, Nick Dragotta)

83. Jar of Fools (W/A, Jason Lutes)

82. The Fall (W, Ed Brubaker; A, Jason Lutes)

81. Captain America: The New Deal (W, John Ney Rieber; A, John Cassaday)

80. Jupiter’s Legacy (W, Mark Millar; A, Frank Quitely)

79. Spy Superb (W/A, Matt Kindt)

78. Terminal City (W, Dean Motter, A, Michael Lark)

77. I Am Legion (W, Fabien Nury; A, John Cassaday

76. Little Bird (W, Darcy Van Poelgeest; A, Ian Bertram)

75. A Complete Lowlife (W/A, Ed Brubaker)

74. Palookaville (W/A, Seth)

73. Here (W/A, Richard McGuire)

72. Give Me Liberty (W, Frank Miller; A, Dave Gibbons)

71. Astonishing X-Men (W, Joss Whedon; A, John Cassaday)

70. Hawkeye (W, Matt Fraction; A, David Aja, Annie Wu, Franesco Francavilla)

69. Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters (W/A, Mike Grell)

68. Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland (W, Eric Shanower; A, Gabriel Rodriguez)

67. Batman: One Bad Day – The Riddler (W, Tom King; A, Mitch Gerads)

66. Twig (W, Skottie Young; A, Kyle Strahm)

65. Velvet (W, Ed Brubaker; A, Steve Epting)

64. Blacksad (W, Juan Díaz Canales; A, Juanjo Guarnido)

63. Black Orchid (W, Neil Gaiman; A, Dave McKean)

62. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (W, Tom King; A, Bilguis Evely)

61. Fun Home: A Tragiocomic (W/A, Alison Bechdel)

60. The Shaolin Cowboy (W/A, Geof Darrow)

59. Halcyon (W, Marc Guggenheim, Tara Butters; A, Ryan Bodenheim)

58. Batman Universe (W, Brian Michael Bendis; A, Nick Derington)

57. Wolverine: Old Man Logan (W, Mark Millar; A, Steve McNiven)

56. Optic Nerve (W/A, Adrian Tomine)

55. Sin City (W/A, Frank Miller)

54. Death: The High Cost of Living (A, Neil Gaiman; W, Chris Bachalo, Mark Buckingham)

53. The Killing Joke (W, Alan Moore; A, Brian Bolland)

52. The Perry Bible Fellowship (W/A, Nicholas Gurewitch)

51. Strangers in Paradise (W/A, Terry Moore)

50. Watchmen (W, Alan Moore; A, Dave Gibbons)

49. Batman: Off-World (W, Jason Aaron; A, Doug Mahnke

48. Criminal (W, Ed Brubaker, A, Sean Phillips)

47. Y: The Last Man (W, Brian K. Vaughan; A, Pia Guerra)

46. Organisms from an Ancient Cosmos (W/A, S. Craig Zahler)

45. Scalped (W, Jason Aaron; A, R. M. Guéra, var)

44. The Manhattan Projects (W, Jonathan Hickman; A, Nick Pitarra)

43. Berlin (W/A, Jason Lutes)

42. Gotham Central (W, Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka; A, Michael Lark, var)

41. Ex Machina (W, Brian K. Vaughan; A, Tony Harris)

40. Minimum Wage (W/A, Bob Fingermann)

39. Habibi (W/A, Craig Thompson)

38. Persepolis (W/A, Marjane Satrapi)

37. Wolverine (W, Chris Claremont, A, Frank Miller)

36. Batman: I Am Suicide/The War of Jokes and Riddles (W, Tom King; A, Mikel Janin)

35. Human Target (W, Tom King; A, Greg Smallwood)

34. The Golden Age (W, James Robinson; A, Paul Smith)

33. Justice League: The New Frontier (W/A, Darwyn Cooke)

32. Mister Miracle (W, Tom King; A, Mitch Gerads)

31. Saga (W, Brian K. Vaughan; A, Fiona Staples)

30. Preacher (W, Garth Ennis; A, Steve Dillon)

29. The Books of Magic (W, Neil Gaiman; A, John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson)

28. Kingdom Come (W, Mark Waid; A, Alex Ross)

27. Justice League (W, Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis; A, Kevin Maguire)

26. Top Ten (W, Allan Moore; A, Gene Ha and Zander Cannon)

25. Frank (W/A, Jim Woodring)

24. Lock & Keye (W, Joe Hill; A, Gabriel Rodriguez)

23. Eightball (W/A, Daniel Clowes)

22. Hate (W/A, Peter Bagge)

21. Batman: Year One (W, Frank Miller; A, David Mazzucchelli)

20. Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Boy on Earth (W/A, Chris Ware)

19. The Punisher (W, Garth Ennis; A, Steve Dillon)

18. Batman: Ten Nights of the Beast (W, Jim Starlin; A, Jim Aparo)

17. Planetary (W, Warren Ellis; A, John Cassaday)

16. Batman: The Saga of Ra’s Al Ghul (W, Dennis O’Neil; A, Neal Adams)

15. Pyongang: A Journey in North Korea (W/A, Guy Delisle)

14. My Favourite Thing is Monsters (W/A, Emil Ferris)

13. Little Nemo in Slumberland (W/A, Winsor McCay)

12. Detective Comics #569-575 (W, Mike W. Barr, A, Alan Davis)

11. Bone (W/A, Jeff Smith)

10. Peepshow (W/A, Joe Matt)

9. Batman: Black and White – Last Call at McSurley’s (Mike W. Barr; A, Alan Davis)

8. Marvels (W, Kurt Busiek; A, Alex Ross)

7. Maus (W/A, Art Spiegelman)

6. The Dark Knight Returns (W/A, Frank Miller)

5. Concrete (W/A, Paul Chadwick)

4. V for Vendetta (W, Alan Moore; A, David Lloyd)

3. All-Star Superman (W, Grant Morrison; A, Frank Quitely)

2. Miracleman (W, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman; A, Gary Leach, Alan Davis, var)

1. The Sandman (W, Neil Gaiman; A, var)