True North Country Comics presents Matt McGrath’s top 10 go-to comic books and graphic novels.
Matt is a writer and actor living and working in Toronto. He currently works as a content writer, specializing in educational marketing. He has been acting for over 15 years and has appeared in shows at the Toronto Fringe Festival and Hart House Theatre. He is also co-founder of the production company, Bygone Theatre. Matt’s short comics have appeared in Strange Romance (Volume 3), A Soul Divided/Caged in Flesh, and Called Into Being. His most current project is ID-10T Error on Kickstarter.
Here’s the top 10 comic books and graphic novels from Matt McGrath:
Batman: Zero Year by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
“Superheroes are my one true comic love and modern superhero comics don’t get much better than Snyder and Capullo’s Batman. Zero Year is probably the best story in their run. Riddler is my all-time favourite super villain and this story nails that character. I think it also led to the Riddler renaissance we’re experiencing now. ”
Paul Up North by Michel Rabagliati
“My second comic love is independent slice-of-life stories! And that genre doesn’t get much better than the “Paul” series by Michel Rabagliati. I love all the Paul books, but this one about growing up and experiencing your first love really hits home.”
Young Francis by Hartley Lin
“Hartley Lin is a genius illustrator and storyteller. If you haven’t read this, you absolutely need to!”
Hellboy: The Corpse by Mike Mignola
“As a writer, Hellboy is such a massive influence on me. The corpse is the perfect Hellboy story. For that matter, it’s probably a perfect comic.”
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
“I mean, just google Junji Ito, and you’ll see why he’s a master of horror. The story of Uzumaki certainly has its flaws, but those flaws are also why I love it so much!”
Kill or be Killed by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitweiser
“I love every Brubaker and Phillips outing. Kill or Be Killed must be one of the longest, consistent stories they’ve done together (other than Sleeper), which makes it a precious thing. I’m a sucker for anything demonic and this is my favourite title from the pair.”
Amazing Spider-Man 617 and 625 by Joe Kelly, Max Fiumara and Fabio D’Auria
“Spider-Man is my favourite superhero and Joe Kelly is one of the best writers to tackle the character, in my humble opinion. His Spider-Man makes me laugh out loud and there is so much pathos in his limited run. These two Rhino issues stand out as his best work on Spider-Man.”
All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly
“I used to be one of those dorks who thought Superman was a boring character. Then I read All-Star Superman. I think by page five of this book I became a Superman fan and understood what makes him one of the best characters in comics.”
Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman and others
“I mentioned I’m a sucker for a demonic story, right? Killer premise and some of the greatest art of the whole series.”
Daredevil Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
“I don’t know what to tell you. Miller and Mazzucchelli at their prime. Nothing beats it.”
You can discover more about Matt on Twitter at @stoopid_matt and online at https://matthewtmcgrath.wixsite.com/portfolio