10 DC Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die

Although the purpose of this article isn't to venture into the great Marvel-DC divide, it's fair to say that America's Burbank-bound publisher have hit out more than their fair share of seminal storylines over the years.

Time and again, writers, artists, colourists and inkers have set about refuting the notion that comics are nothing more than idle funny-books. In doing so, DC are able to boast an entire library of all-time greats - books that stand up and proclaim, with great dignity, that comics can be so much more than they're often held to be.

And that's no small feat, mind you. Of all the thousands of comics published the only one to make it onto Time's 100 Greatest Novels of all time is a DC work. That, and when you think of the most iconic storylines of the medium - those that extend beyond the Marvel bullpen era - you think DC; you think of the Frank Millers, the Alan Moores, the Denny O'Neils. All of them, in some way, defined their careers at DC.

While this list can serve a purpose in definitively ranking the publisher's greatest hits, it's also worth noting that we've tried to include books that fans old and new should be able to seek out and appreciate. It's a tricky medium out there, and while it can look a tad intimidating on the surface, we can all do our bit to help people find their footing, be it with DC, Marvel or otherwise.