We’re playing with the settings in this week’s “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week we’re taking a look at the best black-and-white comics out there.

Since the earliest days of superhero comic books, the medium has been known for its vibrant displays of eye-catching colors.  In fact, that was half the appeal.  But even then, due to creative, financial, or technological reasons, creators were creating stunning pieces of art using black and gray inks and white negative spaces.  Over the years, the usage of black and white in comics has been attributed to many different symbolic and artistic purposes.  In post-apocalyptic comics, black and white can sometimes be used to establish a stark and lifeless world, while in an upbeat slice-of-life comic it can be utilized to establish a simple and carefree world. While sometimes black and white can be effective in soaking a comic in a style associated with a time period or movement, like late ’80s to mid-’90s independent publications.  And, in noir-toned books, the black and white can often be seen as the darkest parts of society seeping into the light and touching everyone involved.

So here are a couple of graphic novels that utilize a black-and-white color palette for exceptional results.

THE WALKING DEAD

Writer:  Robert Kirkman
Artist: Tony Moore
Publisher: Image Comics

In terms of impact on both the comic book industry and entertainment as a whole, it’s hard to find a comic series that matches up with The Walking Dead.  In the incredibly rare chance that you have never heard of this series,  The Walking Dead takes place in a version of The United States that has been completely ravaged by a zombie plague, turning a majority of the population into “Walkers”.  Yet, as main character Rick Grimes takes a leadership role amongst a rag-tag group of survivors, it becomes clear that the other humans are just as deadly, if not more so, than the zombies. The black and white color palette here does wonders in terms of creating a bleak setting, regardless of what is actually in the background.  Also, in one of the many brutal moments of violence, the black and white works incredibly well at allowing things to be raw and intense, in ways that might have been diminished if there were bright splotches of red or pink guts.  The series has ended its very long run and can now be read in its entirety via 32 trade paperbacks or in 8 omnibuses.

STRAY BULLETS

Writer: David Lapham
Artist: David Lapham
Publisher: Image Comics

In the days of salad and glory that was the 90s,  comics were in a strange place.  On one hand, the effects of the speculator market and populist publishing decisions were creating a difficult environment for not only readers, but creators alike.  On the other hand, a large swell of independent publishers and creator-owned comics sprung up.  One of these titles was Stray Bullets.  In this series, a massive cast of characters, each with their own story, across multiple decades, participate in the criminal underworld.  Some by choice, many by force.  By keeping the pages black and white, this series achieves an amazing feat, which is that while the cast is very diverse in just about every way people can differ, there feels like there is a connective tissue amongst them all.  As if, while their stories are very different, these characters are all cut from the same cloth and are like cursed people, forced into the underbelly of society.  While this series had a historically rocky publishing history, at this point things have settled into a fairly regular publishing schedule, with the series shifting somewhat into an anthology format.  There are currently 10 volumes of this series, with the last volume finishing up the latest storyline, meaning there are very few cliffhangers.

So what are your favorite black-and-white comics?  What did you think of these recommendations?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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