Summary
- GI Joe has an incredible character study of operatives and standout issues making it one of IDW's best comics.
- GI Joe: Cobra provides depth to Cobra's reactions and consequences, ranking among IDW's top publications.
- Usagi Yojimbo's incredible storytelling, illustrations, and crossovers with TMNT epitomize some of IDW's best work.
Comic book fans have been graced with powerful and entertaining stories from a variety of publishers. DC and Marvel Comics have created some of the most iconic superheroes the world has ever seen, such as Spider-Man, Batman, and many other characters with compelling stories and character arcs. Outside the two most popular publishers, other publishers have also had some amazing runs, with Wildstorm comic generating mass success from The Boys with its comic and huge TV adaptation.
8 Most Iconic Batman Comic Covers
Batman has been a comic book icon for over 85 years and the talented artists of DC Comics have provided fans with some truly iconic comic covers.
IDW Publishing, founded in 1999, has found huge success with its comics, with iconic characters like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles within their ranks alongside Sonic the Hedgehog and Godzilla, with Ninja Turtles #1 selling over 300,000 copies before its release, making it one of the most popular of 2024. They've also had their fair share of TV and movie adaptations, with Locke and Key being a hit on Netflix.
8 GI Joe
The Best Covert Special Operations Unit Put To The Page
Beginning in 1982 at Marvel Publishing, GI Joe details the missions of a covert special ops team as they protect the United States from world-ending threats. Moving to IDW Publishing in 2008, GI Joe started an incredible run totaling five volumes with multiple spin-offs along the way.
A particular highlight within the IDW run of GI Joe came in GI Joe: Hearts & Minds, written by Max Brooks of World War Z fame. Each issue focused on an individual Joe, and their motivations, providing a character study on the operatives fans have loved for decades. The GI Joe run had some stellar issues, making it one of the best comics published by IDW Publishing.
7 GI Joe: Cobra
Viewing The Joe's Conflict From The Other Side
Slightly edging out GI Joe is its spin-off series, GI Joe: Cobra, focusing on the organized terrorist group Cobra. The first issue miniseries was published in 2009, detailing the work of the Joe's top undercover operative, Chuckles, as he tries to bring down Cobra from the inside.
What allows GI Joe: Cobra to edge out its predecessor is its reactionary nature. Fans get to see the villains of the GI Joe series react to the consequences of their actions with a plot full of espionage and intrigue. The extra depth given to members of Cobra makes GI Joe: Cobra one of the best comics published by IDW Publishing.
6 Usagi Yojimbo
Stories Of Rabbit Ronin Samurai Journeying Across Feudal Japan
From writer and illustrator, Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo, follows Miyamoto Usagi, a rabbit Ronin Samurai who roams feudal Japan helping those in need. Beginning in 1984 with Stan Sakai at the helm, Usagi Yojimbo moved to IDW Publishing in 2019 before returning to Dark Horse Publishing in 2023.
Usagi Yojimbo combines incredible storytelling and illustration with references to Japanese folklore, paired with action akin to Akira Kurosawa's epic movies. With the move to IDW Publishing came crossovers with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, leading to comic book action epics, making Usagi Yojimbo one of the best comics published by IDW Publishing.
5 Godzilla
A 13-Issue Run About The King Of The Monsters
The King of the Monsters has had some incredible adaptations at the box office. This success is not limited to just the big screen, with IDW producing high-quality comics for the iconic Kaiju since 2012.
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The Godzilla movies are filled with powerful kaiju creatures, but these particular monsters fell short of their potential.
There are three ongoing issues - Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters, Godzilla: Ongoing, and Godzilla: Rulers of Earth - and mini-series collections are also available. For fans of Godzilla, the comics display huge battles with the colossal monster being both an antagonist and the protagonist, with a highlight being the huge battle between Godzilla's team featuring MechaGodzilla to defend the Earth from the extraterrestrial threats Monster X, SpaceGodzilla, and Hedorah. With incredible design and epic monster battles, Godzilla shows some of IDW Publishing's best work.
4 Transformers
Epic Battles Between The Autobots And Decepticons
- Current Series
- Transformers: EarthSpark
- TV Show(s)
- The Transformers, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: BotBots, Transformers: Cybertron, Beast Wars: Transformers, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Transformers Robots in Disguise
- Movie(s)
- Transformers, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Transformers: The Last Knight, Bumblebee, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Transformers: The Movie
- Video Game(s)
- Transformers: War for Cybertron, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Transformers: Devastation, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- Creation Year
- 1984
Based on the classic Hasbro toys and cartoon series, IDW began publishing Transformers in 2005, running a continuous series until 2018, before rebooting the series in 2019 following the Unicron event comic.
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The Transformers series has had plenty of TV series over the years. How do they stack up against each other?
Transformers begins with the Autobots led by Optimus Prime on Earth following their defeat of the Decepticons, with large battles and the resurgence of Megatron and the Decepticons laying waste to cities around Earth with huge collateral damage. With huge stakes and all-out war breaking out within the run, the action present in Transformers makes it an engaging series for comic fans to dive into from IDW Publishing.
3 Locke & Key
Gripping Writing And Stunning Visuals Combine
Having been adapted into a big-budget Netflix show, Locke & Key showcases stellar writing and a plot full of intrigue and mystery filled with horror inside the Keyhouse manor.
After their patriarch is killed, the Locke family returns to Keyhouse and begins to uncover its secrets, finding magic keys, and opening doors that lead to other realms. This includes the Black Door, found in the Drowning Caves, that houses vicious demons. With its fair share of horror elements, the writing shows the children of the Locke family dealing with grief, trauma, and the impacts of their family's history, making Locke & Key a compelling read and one of the best comics IDW Publishing has to offer.
2 Sonic The Hedgehog
The Speedy Blue Hedgehog Provides Pages Of Fun
Sonic the Hedgehog is a gaming icon and has had mass success on the silver screen, which has been replicated on the page. IDW's Sonic The Hedgehog comic began in 2018, having begun publishing at Archie Comics in 1991, and has continued its success.
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To this very day, there are still so many questions surrounding these mysterious Sonic characters.
Showing off its iconic lead alongside other fan favorites, including Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Blaze, beginning with the fallout from the Eggman War. Throughout the current run with Sonic, IDW has overseen many adventures and battles against villains both old and new. Always capable of providing laughs as well as emotional depth, Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the very best comics published by IDW.
1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Heroes In A Half Shell Are IDW's Premier Comic Offering
Perhaps the most iconic team to feature among IDW Publishing's comic offerings, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, comfortably takes the top spot for the best comic published by IDW. Providing incredible action as the Turtles combat the forces of Shredder and Krang.
What sets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles apart from the other comics from IDW is its incredible storytelling, relatable themes and also one of the best comic mini-series ever put on the page in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. Having the fun and humor of the original animated series, whilst being able to tell huge emotional stories make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the best comic published by IDW.
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From their run in the arcades, to home console titles like Turtles in Time, they have a lasting legacy in the gaming industry.