The Best of Fantagraphics’ B/W Indies (anthology highlights) A selection of indie creators whose short black-and-white pieces experiment with form, pacing, and visual voice.
A groundbreaking true-crime graphic novel based on the Cleveland torso murders.
– only 200 available. Once they’re gone, no reprints. blacknwhitecomics 20 comics
While the webcomic is famous for its neon colors, the printed “Break the Wheel” editions offer B&W versions. The sheer density of religious iconography and weird geometry is easier to parse (and more intimidating) in black and white.
Spiegelman interviews his father, a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor, depicting Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. The scratchy, unforgiving black lines capture the claustrophobia and raw trauma of the historical event in a way color never could. 2. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Once they’re gone, no reprints
Set in the mid-1970s, a group of teenagers in suburban Seattle contract a sexually transmitted disease that causes strange, unique physical mutations. Burns uses incredibly slick, precise brushwork with deep, oppressive pools of black ink to create a distinctly eerie, dreamlike body-horror masterpiece. 15. American Splendor by Harvey Pekar
: The groundbreaking series by the Hernandez brothers that redefined indie comics. Spiegelman interviews his father, a Polish Jew and
The longest-running B&W comic by a single creator still going. Sakai’s Sakai uses traditional Japanese brush techniques to tell ronin rabbit stories. The "Grasscutter" arc is a high watermark for visual storytelling.
: Includes a haunting, photograph-like image of Professor X that stands out in monochrome. Next Men #17
While big publishers often favor color for mainstream superhero titles, black and white remains a staple for indie creators and graphic novelists
Grey lives in a world where the sun has been "unplugged" for maintenance. Everyone is issued one lightbulb that represents their remaining "hope" or "time."