Jeff Parker’s Underground and 6 Other Colorful Comics

It’s rare to see a comic where color adds a lot of value to the page, but these stories are more than just simple coloring books.

Think about it.  Take your average issue of most things, remove the color and you will still have the same level of storytelling.  There was a Captain America sketch variant that proved my point some time ago (not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment).  How often do you really see color being a useful part of the book?

Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

It’s X-Men but more psychotic. The Umbrella Academy is a thrilling story across time that revolves around one of the most important moments in America’s history. Gerard Way carefully constructs an alternate reality full of monkeys that can think and talk as humans do, super humans that can live on the moon and symphonies that could have catastrophic affects. The colors in this book border on the psychedelic, but the pages scream at you. Dave Stewart seems to compliment the art of Gabriel Ba with bright and playful colors that help fill in a world that is not quite our own.  We get that classic sepia tone for age, mixed with a splash of color during some of the darker moments, just to make things unsettling.

Chew (Image Comics)

Chew just wrapped up its 8th week on the New York Times Bestselling graphic novel list. If that’s not enough to tell you it’s worth reading, how about the fact that a mint set of numbers one through four will run you almost 150 internets dollars. Chew’s colors are understated, but vibrant when they need to be. The art and the color seem to fit perfectly, with disgusting moments rendered almost tangibly.  It’s hard to escape the cartoony feel of this book, but the washed out colors add depth to this detective’s story.

Kick Ass (Icon)

The Kick-Ass hardcover recently dropped, so those of you that have waited to get the entire thing collected, this is your time to shine. Part of what makes this book so visceral is the color used. The thick red blood is bright against an ugly green jumpsuit, and the blue electrical shocks feel painful just looking at them. The costumes are that much cornier when the audacious color is applied.  Don’t believe me?  Grab the $65 Red Sketch variant and you’ll see how lame of an investment that was.  John Romita’s art may feel reckless at times, but this book is taking enough chances to make the payoff worth it.

Criminal (Icon)

Criminal is dark and seedy, and though bright pink and purple covers may put you off at first glance, the insides use those colors to great effect. Anyone who has strolled down a main street in any major American city knows the colored hue that surrounds a city at night. This is the world of Ed Brubaker’s character Tracy Lawless, beautifully rendered by Sean Phillips.

Orc Stain (Image Comics)

James Stokoe brings vibrancy and life to a fantasy realm. Not a new concept, but when you consider that this realm consists of grizzly bear safes, phallus shaped castles, warring orc tribes and… Well I guess it’s not really a new concept. The truth is it’s a weird fantasy story about an orcish tribal leader and a thief that cross paths and could potentially unite all orcs. Couple that with more gradients than your average photoshop tutorial and you’ve got yourself a wing dinger.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Marvel Comics)

I don’t know too many comics fans that don’t know the art of Skottie Young, but don’t let this kids book exterior fool you. Inside of the Wizard of Oz hardcover, you will find the brightest blue skies, the greenest pastures (and cities), the cutest little girl a loveable dog and a fantastic entourage wandering the yellow brick road all over Oz. It’s hard not to love something that is this damn cute.

Underground (Image Comics)

Steve Lieber’s art in Underground adds to the fun of the story. We have two sections happening at once, one takes place in a cave, the other above ground. The way the colors (or lack thereof) are used to show the vibrancy of light is so crucial to the immersion one feels while reading the book. Jeff Parker’s writing guides this story through some great moments of tension, but Steve Lieber’s art really makes the cave come alive. The background is such a huge part of the issues, and it is next to impossible to ignore the intense shift in color as we go above and below ground. This book proves color can be a key story telling tool when used with great effectiveness.