Comics, Comics, Comics - What do you recommend?

[Moyashimaru]

So many good recommendations already. Nice to see 100 Bullets and AtMoMadness getting some love.

These haven't been mentioned yet:
>ZOT! by Scott McCloud. A hero from another dimension is transplanted into a modern (1980s/90s) high school. The later issues didn't have much heroing in them, opting instead for introspection reminiscent of Astro City.
>Hicksville by Dylan Horrocks. An American comics journalist goes to the New Zealand hometown of a world-famous comics creator to get the true story behind his creations.
>Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai. Yeah, anthropomorphic chambara. There are lots of TPBs, but start with the "Grasscutter" collection.

Looking back at the list, I realize two things:
1) I'm old
2) I haven't read anything new in quite a while

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread...

[Konrad]

Many of my favorites were already listed. Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, Maus, were really pivotal works. They made "normal" folks look at comics as like, you know, art, not just crude illustrations to entertain children and geeks.
Besides that, I'll add Frank Chadwick's "Concrete". A really human, natural story of a guy whose brain has been transplanted into a 2 ton alien body made out of stone. Bill Syncevitz (sp?) run of Electra Assassin, just mad, mad , mad beautiful mad. Dave Sim/Gerhard's "Cerebus". Though at the end of it's run it ends up pretty much staring at it's own navel refering only to itself, but remains wondefully illustrated. Starstruck by Mike Kaluta, Love and Rockets, ah, I could go on for pages.