Like any form of entertainment, comics have some moments when things aren't exactly the best. Whether it be the art, the writing, strange subject matter, gratuitous violence, or a combination of the above, lots of things can make a comic bad. However, that doesn't mean these stories aren't fun to read. Just like any other form of entertainment, comics have stories that have become guilty pleasures for fans — they know they aren't actually great, but they're great to read.
Guilty pleasure comics come in all shapes and sizes. Marvel, DC, Image, and more have put out comics that are bizarrely enjoyable, providing years of enjoyment for fans.
10 The Entire Chaos! Comics Line Was Like Heavy Metal Album Covers Come To Life
The '90s were a time of boom and bust for the comic industry. Publishers would pop up, get big, and die off in a predictable cycle to most watchers of the industry. One of these companies was Chaos! Comics, founded by writer Brian Pulido. Anchored by Evil Ernie, Lady Death, and Purgatori, the line was Bad Girls infused with apocalyptic horror extravaganza.
The quality of the line varies wildly, and the stories aren't the most complex, but they are a lot of fun to read. Pulido had a vision for the line and created something the likes of which hasn't been seen since, comics for heavy metal and slasher fans that were entertaining even when they were bad.
9 Wolverine: Evolution Is A Joy To Look At It But The Story Is Gets Bizarre
Wolverine: Evolution, by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Simone Bianchi, is a story that sounds amazing. Wolverine and Sabretooth clash as new secrets are revealed about the origin of Wolverine and other similar mutants is a tried and true Wolverine storytelling trope. Loeb takes it right off the rails, tying it all together by introducing the Lupine, a group of mutants descended from canines.
It's such a strange choice in an otherwise boilerplate Wolverine story. The art is fantastic, and there are some cool moments; it's just not a good comic. It's still a joy to read, though, as Bianchi's a talented artist, and the book is full of epic fight scenes.
8 The Authority: Under New Management Is The Comic Equivalent Of Trash Cinema
The Authority: Under New Management, by writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Quitely, was the book that gave Millar his big break. Taking over The Authority after writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch left, Millar and Quitely inject the title with a manic energy as the team strikes against the status quo and is forced to fight superheroes created by a Jack Kirby analog.
The book combines radical anarchist politics with ultra-violent superhero spectacle as the Authority rips through the Marvel-inspired heroes sent against them by the powers that be. It's all trashy edgelord fun that goes for the throat and never lets go.
7 Chuck Austen's Uncanny X-Men/X-Men Run Is Full Of Fun Ideas Marred By Hilariously Bad Execution
Writer Chuck Austen's time on Uncanny X-Men and X-Men is widely considered the worst run in either book's history. Austen always worked with good artists, namely Ron Garney, Kia Asamiya, and Salvador Larocca, but the stories never actually turned out well. Austen had some good ideas, but his execution of them was bad, often laughably so.
Austen's Uncanny X-Men/X-Men run is akin to The Room for comics. The stories are often so bad they're good, with moments that elicit as many laughs as they do groans. They're a delightful trainwreck, and everybody should read at least one of his stories, preferably "She Lies With Angels" or "The Draco."
6 Wanted Is Peak Edgelord Millar
Mark Millar was one of Marvel's most influential writers in the 2000s, and his edgelord sensibilities were on display but neutered by the publisher. Not so his indie work at the time, and Wanted, with art by J.G. Jones, was Millar at his edgiest. Set in a world secretly run by the Fraternity, a group of supervillains, Wesley is brought in after his father, the Killer, is assassinated, living his best worst life while more deaths rock the supervillain world.
Wanted allowed Millar to go as far as he wanted, and it shows on every page. Extreme violence, profanity, and sex grace the story, and it often feels like the book is trying to shock just because it can. There are some great ideas in the book, and the art is fantastic, making it a wonderful guilty pleasure read.
5 Chris Claremont's 2000 Return To Uncanny X-Men and X-Men Was Full Of Big Ideas That Didn't Really Go Anywhere
Chris Claremont spent seventeen years writing the X-Men, making him Marvel's longest-tenured writer on a title. He'd return to the land of X in the year 2000, taking over as writer of Uncanny X-Men and X-Men, moving everything six months in the future, and introducing new villains the Neo, mutants evolved even farther beyond the ones readers knew.
Joined by artists Leinil Yu, Adam Kubert, and Tom Raney, there are some great single-issue stories in Claremont's short return run, but the whole thing never really feels like it comes together. It's still entertaining and worth a read, though, as even bad Claremont is still pretty good and an interesting anomaly in X-Men history.
4 The Dark Knight Strikes Again Falls Far Short Of Its Predecessor, But It Has A Strange Charm
The Dark Knight Returns is a classic and one of the comics that truly made Frank Miller a massive creative force in the comic industry. Eventually, DC got him to come back for a sequel, and The Dark Knight Strikes Again was born. Miller expanded the story beyond Gotham, showing just how much the rest of the DCU had changed and pitting the heroes against Lex Luthor.
DK2, as it's also known, has a lot of cool stuff in it, but it's also where the cracks started to show in Miller's facade. His art style was a far cry from what it had been before, and the story has a lot of problems, but it can still be a fun read.
3 WildC.A.T.s #1-4 Is The Ultimate Style Over Substance Comic
WildC.A.T.s #1-4, by writers Jim Lee and Brandon Choi and Lee on art, was the superstar artist's first Image book. There's a madcap creative energy to the story, and the characters are all rather interesting. The WildC.A.T.s became the centerpiece of Lee's Wildstorm Universe, with this story laying out their status quo.
Like other Image books of the day, the writing wasn't the greatest, so the book lived and died by its art. Luckily, the art is fantastic, Lee's best work at the time. The story is a fun but vapid battle between ancient alien races — the Kherubim and Daemonites — trapped on Earth for millennia.
2 Youngblood #1-4 Is Raw Uncut Liefeld
Youngblood #1-4, by writers Hank Kanalz and Rob Liefeld with art by Liefeld, is massively important to '90s Image and has an interesting reputation. Liefeld is a controversial figure in the comic industry; one can argue about the quality of his work but not his raw creative energy, which is on full display in these four issues.
Split between the Youngblood Home and Away Teams, the books introduce a raft of new heroes and villains. They're undeniably creative comics and are the equivalent of junk food — they taste great, but don't look into it too much.
1 All-Star Batman And Robin The Boy Wonder Is The Greatest Batman Parody Ever
All-Star Batman And Robin The Boy Wonder, by writer Frank Miller and artist Jim Lee, is infamous among Batman fans. Lee's art is amazing, and Miller's trademark hard-boiled style is on full display, but it often feels like he's pushing it as far as he can, creating a comic that feels like a parody of the Batman he had created in previous stories.
All-Star Batman And Robin is either the worst Batman story ever or the best Batman parody ever. Miller doesn't feel like the kind of writer who would make fun of himself, but the story works best as an excessive Batman parody. It's full of hilarious, over-the-top moments.