Some of the best comics have come from across
the pond.
Welcome to Watchmojo.com and today we’ll
be counting down our picks for the Top 10
British Comic Books.
For this list, we’ll be focusing on comic
books created by British writers and/or artists.
We won’t be focusing on British writers’
runs on popular American titles, so don’t
expect to see Alan Moore’s ”Batman: The
Killing Joke” on this list.
To be eligible for this list, the comic must
be synonymous with the British creators who
made it a success.
Alan Moore and Stephen R. Bissette introduced
British occultist John Constantine during
their run on Swamp Thing in 1985.
The smart, snarky, sarcastic magic-using con-man
was a hit with readers, and received his own
title, Hellblazer, in 1988 under the creative
direction of British writer Jamie Delano.
There have been a number of adaptations of
the character, including a 2005 film starring
Keanu Reeves, and a short-lived television
series starring Matt Ryan.
Some of the best British talent have had a
crack at working on Hellblazer, including
Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and Garth Ennis,
just to name a few.
Sláine debuted in the pages of 2000 A.D.
number 330, created by Pat Mills, the man
responsible for bringing the massively influential
British comics anthology into the world in
the first place.
Originally illustrated by Mills’ wife and
collaborator Angela Kinkaid, Slaine brings
Celtic myths to life on the page with brilliant
storytelling and unforgettable images.
Slaine is a wandering barbarian warrior wielding
a giant axe known as Brainbiter.
Sound like Conan?
Perhaps, but Slaine’s over-the-top qualities
and underlying sense of mysticism make him
stand out.
Plus, there’s nothing like Celtic mythology
to give heft - and black humor - to a character.
Scottish comic book writer Grant Morrison’s
brain child, “The Invisibles is almost as
strange, idiosyncratic, and psychedelic as
the man himself.
According to Morrison, true credit for the
story and characters belongs to aliens who
communicated with him during a strange spiritual
experience he had while visiting Kathmandu.
Kind of like a twisted reimagining of the
X-Men, the series follows a group of enhanced,
time-traveling, freedom fighting outcasts
from The Invisible College who fight against
tyranny and oppression by any means necessary.
The group is led by the charismatic King Mob,
an assassin who bears an undeniable and uncanny
resemblance to Morrison.
Alan Moore loves putting a new spin on old
characters.
Swamp Thing was created by writer Len Wein
and artist Berni Wrightson in 1971, as a man
turned monster who was hell-bent on regaining
his humanity and avenging the death of his
wife.
But it was Alan Moore’s run on the book
from 1984 to 1987 that completely revitalized
the character and saved the series from cancelation.
Moore first took the character back to his
roots, then elevated him to a god-like figure.
As a so-called Plant Elemental, he became
the embodiment of nature and protector of
The Green.
It’s all a bit heady, but it makes for some
of the most interesting writing in comics.
English artist Steve Dillon and Northern Irish
writer Garth Ennis were labeled by some as
blasphemous heretics for this comic.
Fans, though, saw this unconventional supernatural
satire as a brilliant piece of comics writing
from the get-go.
Jesse Custer is a small town preacher in Texas
who gets possessed by a half-angelic, half-demonic
supernatural entity known as Genesis.
Thus possessed, he is able to then control
and influence people using The Word of God
– if not always for godlike purposes.
A helpful vampire, some vengeful and worried
angels and a family filled with abusive religious
fanatics also figure prominently.
It all makes Preacher unlike anything that’s
come before in comics, or anything that’s
come after, for 
that matter.
Originally published in the anthology series
Warrior before it was canceled in 1985, the
story was picked up and continued a few years
later and published by Vertigo.
Alan Moore and David Lloyd created a classic
dystopian tale of anarchism vs. totalitarianism
in a pessimistic future vision of England.
It has been hailed for its unique style and
groundbreaking storytelling, and criticized
for the extreme methods used by its protagonist.
Few comics and characters have captured the
imaginations of young, rebellious types quite
like the titular character V.
His crusade against the tyranny of the new
world order and the fascist regime at the
center of it all strikes a strong chord.
Wouldn’t it be cool to live in a tank?
It seems to be working out for Rebecca Buck,
AKA Tank Girl.
The spunky, punk-inspired anti-hero became
something of an icon for anti-establishment
British youths, particularly women, in the
late 80 during the Margaret Thatcher years.
Tank Girl was a darkly humorous satire that
was purposely chaotic and absurdist.
Figuring out what was going on was half the
fun – and ignoring it was the other half.
Tank Girl debuted in the pages of Deadline,
a British comics magazine and anthology dedicated
to promoting up-and-coming talent.
Considering creators Jamie Hewlett and Alan
Martin went on to have illustrious careers
in the alt-comics scene, it’s fair to say
Deadline did its job.
Like so many classic British comics and characters,
Judge Dredd was conceived in the pages of
2000 AD.
After a sudden surge of popularity, the character
received his own book, video games, and even
a couple of movies.
Created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra and
Pat Mills, Dredd is a Street Judge operating
in Mega-City One – a dystopia where law
enforcement officers act as judge, jury, and
executioner.
He’s an incredibly violent and visceral
character, and the series appeals to fans
of unconventional artwork and stories not
often found in the pages of comics.
There’s really nothing else out there quite
like Judge Dredd.
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s seminal masterpiece
helped bring about a seismic shift in attitudes
toward superhero comics.
Watchmen stands as a tent pole in the history
of comics – a paradigm shift that most would
argue changed comics for the better by embracing
adult themes and looking at the superhero
genre with a critical eye.
Alan Moore asked, not for the first time,
what would really happen if the world had
costumed heroes – and the answer was both
disturbing and thrilling.
Despite its setting and the thematic significance
of American culture that runs throughout each
book, Watchmen was crafted by two British
creators who have continued to push the boundaries
of the medium.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here
are some honorable mentions:
Neil Gaiman’s meticulously crafted fantasy
is a deep dive into the world of the metaphysical
and the mythological.
The series follows Dream, otherwise known
as Morpheus, who is a part of a group known
as The Endless.
These strange beings are embodiments of forces
which control our reality.
Yet their reality is inextricably linked with
our own.
Sandman is first and foremost a deconstruction
and examination of stories and dreams: why
they matter so much to us, why they’ve remained
at the center of human experience throughout
our history, and how they connect us all.
Gaiman has been hailed as one of the greatest
writers of his generation, and Sandman is
his masterpiece.
