10 Comics to Read After Watching The Old Guard
07/13/2020 10:35 pm EDT
The Old Guard
We would be remiss if we didn't mention The Old Guard comics themselves. The first arc of the series, which is co-created by writer Greg Rucka and artist Leandro Fernandez, began to be released in 2017, and is collected in an easy volume for fans to enjoy. While the movie is a pretty faithful adaptation of the comic series (thanks to Rucka also writing the film's script), there will still be some surprises for those who are just now entering that world.
The second arc of the series, The Old Guard: Force Multiplied, is actually coming to a close later this week, and is scheduled to be collected in a volume in September.
Stumptown
Stumptown is another Rucka work that recently gained a faithful comic adaptation, with a television iteration of the series debuting on ABC this past fall. The Oni Press comic, which comes from Rucka, Matthew Southworth, and Justin Greenwood, follows the adventures of Dex Parios, a bisexual female private investigator in Portland, Oregon. Across the four existing volumes, Dex solves a wide variety of cases in Portland -- and tries to deal with her own past as well.
If you found yourself loving Theron's complicated and world-weary Andromache of Scythia, you will definitely be drawn to Dex and her world.
Batwoman: Elegy
The third and final Rucka work on this list is among his most pivotal work at DC -- Batwoman: Elegy, an arc that ran across issues of Detective Comics in 2009 and 2010. The stories chronicle her fight against Alice, an eerie villain who wants to poison Gotham City, and has a very specific vendetta against Kate Kane.
The arc has been critically acclaimed for over a decade, both for its surreal, emotional stakes, and for establishing much of Kate's characterization as we know it today. Anyone who wants to read more of Rucka's work after experiencing The Old Guard absolutely needs to check it out.
Orphan Black
As anyone who is part of "Clone Club" will tell you, Orphan Black is one of the most compelling and unique sci-fi shows to arrive in the past decade. While you absolutely should watch (or rewatch) the five seasons of the TV show if you haven't already, the string of Orphan Black tie-in comics provide a largely accessible entry point as well.
The main Orphan Black chronicles previously-unseen stories surrounding the series' five main clones, while the Orphan Black: Helsinki and Orphan Black: Deviations miniseries add even more to the mythos. No matter where you start reading, the comics tackle body autonomy, the science of genetics, and complicated female relationships in a way that The Old Guard fans will probably love.
The Losers
If The Old Guard left you wanting more stories about a group of tactically-skilled misfits, then The Losers is for you. Originally published between 2003 and 2006, the series follows a Special Forces team that was left for dead by the CIA, resulting in a globe-trotting, revenge-fueled battle.
Andy Diggle and Jock's series almost feels like The Old Guard's rowdier sibling, but the two series have a surprising amount of common ground. You could also stand to check out the criminally-underrated 2010 film adaptation of the series, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Evans.
Suicide Squad
Another beloved, kitschy ensemble series that The Old Guard fans should check out is the Suicide Squad -- particularly John Ostrander's run. Primarily running from 1987 to 1992, Ostrander essentially established the group of antiheroes as we know them today, while also bringing in a surprising rotating roster of characters.
Not only is the run pivotal reading for comic fans, but it is set to serve as a source of inspiration for James Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad movie.
Paper Girls
Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's Paper Girls was one of the most buzzworthy comics in recent years -- and it's easy to see why. The series follows Erin, Mac, KJ, and Tiffany, four 12-year-old girls tasked with delivering newspapers in their Cleveland, Ohio suburb. When the group delivers papers on November 1, 1988, they are unintentionally pulled into a conflict between a group of time travelers, which quickly grows too complicated to explain here.
Paper Girls shares a very specific kind of emotion with The Old Guard -- the sense of being a female character out of time, and of relying on the people in your immediate circle to make life worth living. Plus, it's set to become a highly-anticipated television series with Amazon Prime, so now's as good of a time as any to jump on the bandwagon.
Unfollow
A Vertigo series that has run sporadically since 2016, Unfollow flew a bit under the radar at first, but it definitely deserves a second look. The series, from Rob Williams and M. Dowling, opens with social media mogul Larry Ferrell enacting his dying wish -- for his billions of dollars to be split evenly between 140 random people. Those who get a chance at that fortune need to engage in a violent Battle Royale, which plays out like the world's sickest version of Willy Wonka.
Unfollow is a timely, violent, and authentic thrill ride that feels similar in a sense to The Old Guard, and highlights the idea of betrayal and self-preservation in a really compelling way.
The Infinite Horizon
From Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto, The Infinite Horizon reimagines the iconic tale of The Odyssey for a modern age. The six-issue run follows The captain, a man who leads a group of soldiers in the Middle East on a trek halfway across the globe. Along the way, they will encounter threats that might not have seemed possible -- and be pulled into a significant battle.
There's definitely a similar setting and world-weary energy between The Old Guard and The Infinite Horizon, as well as the recontextualizing of iconic legends. The Infinite Horizon is the kind of series that you can catch up with in one day -- and be more than happy that you did.
Unknown Soldier
Unknown Soldier has been a fixture of DC Comics since the 1960s, but the character's second relaunch is compelling enough to explore on its own. Created by Joshua Dysart in 2002, the story follows Dr. Moses Lwanga, who fights for what's right during the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in Uganda. The series ran from 2008 to 2010, and has been compiled into four volumes since then.
There's definitely a similar DNA between Unknown Soldier and some plot points of The Old Guard, albeit with a bit more of a raw, unflinching context behind it.
Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.
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