My Inner Boy Wonder

After about a decade long absence from the comic world, I took the plunge back in and have been immersed in it for about a year now. The comic that was responsible for the journey back into pre-pubescent times of glory was Preacher. After a few friends suggested it, I picked it up and was absolutely enthralled. When the hell were comics produced by well-known publishers like DC allowed to be so controversial? Surely a book that is capable of offending Satan himself had to be published by some skeezy independent firm! Preacher gave me solace in the fact that despite the continuous global movement of pussification, some people are not afraid to call it like they see it.  My interest in the whole medium again was instantly renewed, which moved me to discover the classics such as Arkham Asylum, The Sandman, and The Watchmen, books that paved the way for titles such as Preacher. For that I am truly thankful...

My general taste in comics is more for the adult-orientated titles rather than the well-known staples of the industry. I tend to lean toward books that are politically incorrect, and those who explore the seedy aspects of the human condition. The traditional super hero tales such as Spiderman, Superman, and X-Men (Batman cannot be lumped in with these titles; the psychological darkness of the characters alone put it on a different level completely) are simply not my thing. I respect the contributions those titles made to the overall progression of the industry but I can't really feel comics that tie weak gimmicks into the already tame and vanilla story line.

Here are some of my favorites at the moment:

• The Goon : This series about an ex-carny roughneck and his eccentric sidekick is probably the funniest book out there. With all aspects of the book handled by creator Eric Powell, the Goon's quest to collect his dough while combatting zombies, witch doctors, and mad scientists told with a slight 1920's pulp/noir style make it one the best out there. 
• The Dark Tower Series : Based on Stephen King's 27 book long series, the Dark Tower books explore the development of Roland of Gilead without the 100+ pages of filler King puts into all his book. Packed with incredible art by Jae Lee and breakthrough coloring by Richard Isanove, this violent beginning of Roland's gunslinging days surely does not disappoint.
• The Exterminators: A relatively short-lived series on DC's infamous Vertigo line, The Exterminators explores the psyche of a professional bug killer while maintaining a very suspenseful, hilarious and shocking story through the books. This series is not for the weak of heart (or mind, for that matter) so be prepared to be fully disgusted while laughing your ass off. Supposedly there's even a Showtime series based on The Exterminators in the works.

Adios Nugros.