10 Comic Series That Are 10/10 Perfect With No Bad Issues

Perfection isn’t a word used lightly with comic books, because there are too many things that can take something that should be flawless and take it down a notch. Something as simple as one bad issue can ruin a pristine score. Sometimes it could be that the story hasn’t aged well and that the dialogue or subject matter isn’t appropriate today. Nevertheless, there have been dozens of perfect comics throughout the ages that will survive the test of time.

10 The Wicked + The Divine (Image Comics)

Written By Kieron Gillen

Before the first word is read in The Wicked + The Divine, readers will be drawn in by Jamie McKelvie’s beautiful artwork. After getting over the visuals (good luck with that), writer Kieron Gillen’s story snatches readers in with a mystery that isn’t revealed until later in the series. Even after the big reveal, there’s still more to learn in every issue.

The Wicked + The Divine has everything a reader could want. First, the diversity and character development are second to none. Second, the action is beyond creative and only brutal when needed. Lastly, and maybe most important, the story is original and explains the lore perfectly. A better series can't be recommended to a new or regular comic book fan, and it gets better every time it's read.

9 Birds of Prey (DC Comics)

Written By Kelly Thompson

A comic book fan couldn’t ask for a more fun series. Each issue of Birds of Prey was full of all the quips a person could ask for and action that can be either brutal or goofy depending on the situation. Within all the fun, there’s always a story that will keep a reader wanting to know what will happen next.

Birds of Prey has some characters that aren’t yet known by the novice comic book fan. Among them are New God Big Barda, Cassandra Cain (who's not like the character from the Harley Quinn movie), and Zealot. If you don’t know who they are, you’ll leave this series hoping that DC Comics did more with them. It’s disappointing that it ended, but it remains a gift to the world regardless.

8 Sex Criminals (Image Comics)

Written By Matt Fraction

It isn't shocking that Sex Criminals is getting a TV show. The fact that it took so long is. TV companies should have been breaking down the door to pick this series up. The team of writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky created something that’s perfect for TV, but it started with a flawless comic book run.

Looking at the title, Sex Criminals​​​​​, and the fact that people have sex and freeze time could lead someone to believe that this series is full of shenanigans. While there is a lot of fun nonsense and misadventures, Sex Criminals has one of the deepest stories in comic book history. It discusses sexuality on a variety of spectrums, the importance of mental health, and not letting our past define us.

7 Locke And Key (IDW)

Written By Joe Hill

Locke and Key is a brilliantly creative tale that involves keys that do unbelievable things. There are two dozen of them, and each does something more amazing than the previous one. That’s just the part that brings people in. There's a dark cloud lurking, and the Locke family is already dealing with stuff that's been tearing their family apart. In the end, a reader may not get the conclusion that they wanted, but it was the one that was needed.

The Netflix show did a decent job with the lore of Locke and Key. However, the streaming series felt more like something from the world of Harry Potter, minus perhaps the tokenism and undercurrents of racism in that series, and any noteworthy transphobia from its creators, than what the comic book brought. It may have been too dark for a Netflix crowd, but exactly right for readers.

6 Punisher Max (Marvel Comics)

Written By Garth Ennis

Every story needs a beginning, middle, and an end, and it must be consistent. Writer Garth Ennis did that with the Punisher in a way that many writers haven’t. He used the characters around Frank Castle rather than making it all about the gun violence of the Punisher.

Of course, the Punisher’s enemies were there to show how brutal, meticulous, and creative Frank is. His “friends” and lover reminded people that there’s still humanity left in him. Plus, Garth Ennis made sure that Punisher’s inner thoughts showed that he isn’t just a monster. All of this combined for the best representation of Frank Castle that's ever existed.

5 Saga (Image Comics)

Written By Brian K. Vaughan

It can be debated that it’s too early to put Saga on the list. However, there are 72 issues of this series, and it hasn’t failed to leave readers marveling at the story and heartbroken by the death of characters or how they disappoint the people they love. You never know what’s going to happen next, and that’s something some writers can’t accomplish. Then again, not everyone is Brian K. Vaughan.

The writing is superb, but this run wouldn’t be as great as it is without artist Fiona Staples. Staples has created a plethora of alien races, and each of them is unique. That isn’t an easy feat, but she’s done it for over seven dozen issues, and she’s not done yet. Imagine what she’ll do when Saga returns.

4 Powers (Dark Horse Comics)

Written By Brian Michael Bendis

Series like Invincible and The Boys are a more cynical look at a superpowered world. Powers doesn’t shy away from the justified cynicism, but it’s a much lighter and more realistic look at an unrealistic world. It does so by following one detective without powers (Deena Pilgrim) and another (Christian Walker), who used to be one of the greatest heroes ever. Together, they bring two separate views of what the world is and should be.

Powers slowly guides readers into this world because things will eventually get heavy, gruesome, and sometimes uncomfortable. This pace is fantastic, because a reader will be eased into things as they get deep and brutal. Trust me when I say there will be moments when a person will be forced to step away and process what is happening.

After being away for a decade, writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming didn’t miss a beat with Powers 25. This furthers the proof that this is one of the best series ever thanks to an amazing creative team.

3 Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC Comics)

Written By Deniz Camp

Artist Javier Rodriguez and writer Deniz Camp’s Absolute Martian Manhunter was only supposed to go six issues. The responses to issue No. 1 were so overwhelmingly positive that it was extended to 12 issues. Shocking to no one who read it, this was a smart decision from the people at DC Comics.

Absolute Martian Manhunter was a total trip. A reader can immerse themselves in this series and feel like they’re in the story. It wasn’t just because the art was eye-catching. Each tale felt like something that was happening in the real world. But this is something that Deniz Camp is known and loved for, so it isn’t surprising.

2 Gotham Central

Written By Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Michael Lark

Gotham Central showed a side of comics' most dangerous city, and it rarely involved Batman or the Bat Family. They did make appearances throughout the series, but they were never the focus. Normally, that wouldn’t be interesting, but the creative team brought in new characters, reintroduced Renee Montoya, and made them interesting enough to support the run.

It wasn’t just the crime that made Gotham Central perfect. There were times when the detectives' personal lives were just as interesting, if not more, as the drama with Two-Face and Mr. Freeze. Among those stories was Renee Montoya being forced to come out as queer, which led to a lot of deep conversations about how many people treat the LGBTQ+ community.

1 Astonishing X-Men

A person couldn’t ask for a better introduction into the world of the X-Men. It was the best representation of the heroes involved and made sure that no one got more shine than the other. That includes Wolverine, who, despite being on a lot of the comic book covers, was far from the star of the run.

Each of the X-Men had moments that put them on a higher tier of characters by highlighting their personalities and how they connect to their powers. For example, Kitty Pryde being the one to save the day was something no one would have seen coming at the beginning of this series.

One thing that should be noted is that the writer of Astonishing X-Men has been accused of a lot of disgusting behavior. It’s understandable if a person can’t separate the art from the artist.