To start off, we have a series that is still ongoing and, whilst it wouldn't necessarily be held up as a great literary work in the same way as others on the list, is incredibly popular and indicative of both the writer's work and a particular trend in comic books as a whole. A writer and a trend we are, frankly, sick of, but we'll get there. Gosh, when did you get so impatient? Mark Millar and John Romita Jr's Kick-Ass may be better known for its film adaptations at this point, but each of those draws upon the comic books. The original graphic novels have seen a huge boost in sales and praise as a result of the version seen in multiplexes around the world, so there's your canon placement right there. An inversion of the stereotypical superhero story, in Kick-Ass a plucky teen who is sick of crime decides to take matters into his own hands. The only problem is that he lives in the "real world" rather than the more fanciful comic book universes of DC or Marvel, so when he tries to face down criminals, he gets the crap beaten out of him. Graphically and frequently. Like a lot of Millar's creator-owned work, Kick-Ass gets a lot of approval from fans and critics for deconstructing the superhero genre, looking at how its basic principles would work if applied to reality, and introducing realistic sex and violence (sometimes uncomfortably mixed together) to a genre that's still seen as being inherently immature. All of which isn't anything new, and isn't anything particularly clever, either. Kick-Ass, like the majority of Millar's work, is a thoroughly cynical work in the worst way. It still indulges all of the cliche tropes of and is as far-fetched as superhero comics it supposedly pokes fun at, it's full of ugly homophobia, misogyny and violence against women, and is just kinda childish and stupid. Still, Romita's art is always a treat, and we're glad it keeps Christopher Mintz-Plasse in work.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
