The Manhattan Projects

Author: Jonathan Hickman

Alternate history is a branch of science fiction that a lot of comics fall into. Image Comics gave Jonathan Hickman and James Pitarra the chance to put out an alternate history title based around the Manhattan Project, the work done to create the first atomic bombs. In The Manhattan Projects, that's just a front for a massive set of super-science projects that transform the Earth. The team has enemies, often from within, and the path of history after World War II is so different, and depending on how you look at it, either far more terrifying, or far more perfect. There is hardly a standard SciFi trope that isn't played with in the series. There's time-travel, dimension-hopping, talking dogs, irradiated scientists who gain super powers, evil twins, artificial intelligences, and on and on. The entire series is built around some of the most incredible minds of the twentieth century, but takes them down dark roads into areas you'd never expect them to go. The series is a massive work of art, and one made for adults. It's an incredible read, full of surprises. Why it's on the list: Easily the most mature work on the list, it's also a great example of what the most ambitious comics are doing today.