Creator owned books are probably the greatest thing about the comics industry for a variety of reasons. As a punk rock, do-it-yourself kind of guy, I love the lack of corporate involvement in creator owned comics. You see, when you read a book from Marvel or DC Comics, you’re reading a book that has editorial mandates and corporate interest from Disney and Warner Bros., respectively. To emphasize what that means, it restricts creator input in a series that you’re putting your hard-earned money towards. You’re not just reading a comic from Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham, you’re reading a comic by those two, Jim Lee, Dan DiDio, Mike Marts, and many others who should have no business having input on a comic made by incredibly creative people. You’re not reading a comic that’s sole intention is to be good, you’re reading a comic that a company thinks will sell units. The primary goal of these comics is to make money. So, in essence, you’re losing so much with editorial involvement that’s not there when you read a creator owned book. No one tells these people what they can and cannot have within the pages of their creations. And while I adore characters like Batman and many other mainstream heroes, there’s something magical and pure about reading a comic written and drawn by the creators of the property.

So, it’s in honor of Creator Owned Day that we wanted to take the time to have a look at some Creator Owned Comics That You Should Be Reading if you’re not already.