10. Men Of Wrath (Icon)
Men Of Wrath is a down and dirty tale of a hardbitten, ageing hitman by the name of Ira Rath who is tasked with taking on a new job: his very own flesh and blood, son Reuben. The five-issue miniseries is very much constructed like a chase movie, with Ira relentlessly hunting Reuben and his heavily pregnant wife. While there are a few twists and turns in the telling, the story is relatively simple and the character of Ira Rath is an unapologetically mean creation. He has no regard for his son's life and, in fact, seems to hate his very existence, leading to some pretty understandable daddy issues for Reuben. Written by acclaimed scribe Jason Aaron (Scalped, Thor: God Of Thunder) and pencilled by Ron Garney (Wolverine: Weapon X), Men Of Wrath is an ideal gateway into comics for the action fan in your life or for anyone who enjoys a brutal noir. It will show any intrigued party that comics can be every bit as visceral, every inch as scintillating as anything they could catch at their local multiplex or on HBO. In fact, Men Of Wrath seems tailor made for a screen adaptation, so it would be no surprise if Hollywood begins to circle Messrs Aaron and Garney soon enough. Bruce Willis for Ira Rath? Definitely.